ART.63 Social security rights and the crisis' Social retrenchment as the normality of the financial state of exception

The main purpose of this project was to investigate the effects of the 2007-2008 financial crisis on the Portuguese social security system. Bearing in mind that the Portuguese Constitution (article 63) enshrines social security as a fundamental and universal right we will assess the effects of austerity, which meant, during the ?adjustment? period, the reduction of social benefits? degree of generosity and scope. We also wish to analyse to what extent the crisis has been a pretext to engage by stealth into a systemic reform of the Portuguese social security system that by jeopardizing those main constitutional rules might lead to a permanent violation of social rights and ultimately to the reconfiguration of the Portuguese Welfare State.

We also analysed to what  extent the crisis has been a pretext to engage by stealth into a systemic reform of the Portuguese social security system that by jeopardizing those main constitutional rules might lead to a permanent violation of social rights and ultimately to the reconfiguration of the Portuguese Welfare State. This means to assess in which way the crisis exceptional context, the moment of 'financial state of exception' that, according to the constitutional court, justified a temporary suspension and restriction of social security rights (maxime in the case of old age pensions), might have implied after all a new state of normality (due to the alleged structural financial fragility of the system) - the normality of the financial state of exception.

Implemented Activities

Opening up the research and the project’s activity 1 (The redesign of social security rights in Portugal, with and after the crisis) two conferences were held in 2018 on the impact of the financial crisis on the right to social security and on the public capitalization of Portuguese Social Security system (see the list of dissemination events). The conferences provided a pluralistic state of the art on the condition of the Portuguese Social Security after the euro crisis and the Troika’s adjustment program.  Some communications in those conferences were published in a book edited by Cabral and Caldas (2020). Further research in this activity, focusing on Portugal and of a comparative nature, some of it reflecting the impact of the pandemic, led to two publications (Oliveira & Alves da Silva (2021) and Almeida et al. (2020)) and numerous oral presentations. The performance of the social security system in mitigating the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic and the reverse impact of the pandemic in the social security system was addressed in an international seminar held in January 2021.

Within the scope of Activity 2 (Unemployment, job insecurity, wage incomes, and its impact on the Portuguese social security system), an investigation on the experiences of social (un)protection of workers in a precarious situations, focusing especially on the analysis of the social representations of these individuals share about the Portuguese social protection system, was carried out. In cooperation with the EmployALL Project team (PTDC/SOC-SOC/30543/2017) the fieldwork of both projects was conducted between September 2019 and December 2020, allowing for the inclusion in the questionnaire of a set of questions on the topic of social protection and social security. 53 in-depth interviews were carried out with workers from different sectors of activity. These interviews took      place in two rounds -      before and after the pandemic - allowing for the observation and analysis of the impacts of two crises – the one triggered by euro crises and the Troika’s structural adjustment and the more recent one cause by the pandemic. The interviews took place in different cities and part of them was conducted online, due to COVID-19. The new crisis led to the incorporation of new dimensions of analysis, making it possible to better understand: i) contradictory social meanings attributed by workers when referring to the social security system; ii) perceptions of the value attributed to public social security, in spite of the system’s weaknesses; iii) perceptions regarding the importance of social subsidies in crisis contexts; iv) the expectations regarding the future of the collective forms of social security financing.Different outputs were delivered from this activity, focusing on social representations of the use and functioning of the social security system and public services, namely a book chapter (Carmo et al. (2021)), an article (Caleiras et al (2022)) and numerous communications listed in annex 1. An article by Assis et al is under evaluation. Complementary, an international online conference on the topic of precarity and social (de)protection, was organized taking place in February 2022.

Activity 3 (The European dimension of social policies), initially meant to address the European dimension of social security policies, was later reconfigured, as justified in the project’s interim reports and in point 2.3, to adopt a comparative approach to peripheral country      cases which might take advantage of the previous experience of the hired PhD researchers. The research carried in this activity led to the publication or      of      Silva (2019) addressing the European dimension of social policies;      and of the following articles      on a comparative perspective: Oliveira T. and Oliveira MC (2021) examining the recommendations put forward by ECLAC regarding labour and social policies during the 2010s; Oliveira MC and Cravo (2021), analyzing the encounter between international and local actors in the definition and implementation of social protection policies, Oliveira MC and Osorio-Gonnet (2022), discussing policy change in regards to two Chilean social programmes. In addition, three articles were submitted and are currently under evaluation;      one by Oliveira MC on the recommendations on social security put forward by international organizations during the pandemic; Oliveira MC and Simoni on the importance of path dependency to explain the definition and implementation of social policies in Brazil and Chile during the COVID-19 emergency; and a third one by Oliveira T. and Caleiras, comparing the effects of the financial and euro crisis and of the pandemic in the Portuguese and the Brazilian labour markets and the policies enacted in both countries. The numerous communications in the frame of this activity are listed below. The research under this activity further resulted in the publication of a special issue of the Brazilian Journal of Latin American Studies. A second special issue called “Social Protection in times of Austerity” was proposed and accepted and is currently being prepared for publication in the Brazilian Journal of Social and Labour Economics. Two online seminars took place under this activity -       one in May 2021 on the impact of structural adjustment programs on the right to social security, and the second one in December 2021 on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on labor and Social Protection.

Activity 4 (Population, ageing, economic growth and the sustainability of pension systems: analyzing forecasting models and forecast) delivered: (a) an internal report on existing models for sustainability assessment of pension systems authored by Luis Manso which supported the researcher’s      activity in CoLABOR related to the development of a new model for accessing the sustainability and adequacy of pension systems; (b) a book chapter (Caldas, 2020) accessing the comparative importance of demographic trends and labor markets developments for the sustainability of the Portuguese Social Security Systems. Additionally, an article by Saraiva on the impacts of technology on the Portuguese social protection law was submitted to a journal and is currently under evaluation.

Activity 5 (The crisis and the complementary (private) pension plans: risks and financial speculation) delivered  two book chapters: one by Caldas (2019) on the consequences of the deepening of financialization in the EU for pension regimes; and a second one by Cabral (2019) on the tension between social rights and financial markets. An article on the impact of ESG considerations on pension funds by Saraiva was recently submitted to a journal. 

Activity 6 (Synthesis and dissemination) disseminated the results of this research. All the above-mentioned conferences, seminars and publications are also related to this activity. However, the project also developed actions that were specifically designed for dissemination to a broader public, namely two closing events - (i) a virtual conference cycle on social policies in peripherical countries which to place throughout the month of May 2022; and (ii) an international conference – co-organized with CoLABOR and supported by IFAS – on social security for informal workers in Portuguese-speaking countries. Besides, an e-book containing some of the contributions stemming from the second conference is under preparation to be published by CoLABOR. As social security is a topic that interests virtually anyone, the project has conducted some activities meant to disseminate its outcomes to a broader audience. Those included: (i) publications in the media – Oliveira MC and Simoni (2021) and Oliveira MC (2022); and (ii) a web page of the project (www.artigo63.pt) presently being updated with the main outcomes of the project namely, and foremost, a timeline of the legislative production on social security in Portugal.

Publications 

CABRAL, N. C. (2019). “Pension at a crossroads between social rights and financial markets: which way to be chosen?”, in CABRAL, N. C.; RODRIGUES, N. C. (eds.), The future of pension plans in the EU internal market, Springer, p.p. 225-253 https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-030-29497-7

url:https://ces.uc.pt/fct/jmcc/Capitulo_Nazare_C_Cabral.pdf

SILVA, P. A.; CADEIRAS, P. (2019), “From Paris to Lisbon: The Ever-Changing European Social Policy Landscape. In: CABRAL, N. C.; RODRIGUES, N. C. (eds.). The future of pension plans in the EU internal market. Springer. p.p. 255-281 https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-030-29497-7.

url:https://ces.uc.pt/fct/jmcc/capitulo_pedro_a_silva.pdf

CALDAS, J. C. (2019), “Deepening financialization within the EU: consequences for pension regimes”, in CABRAL, N. C.; RODRIGUES, N. C. (eds.), The future of pension plans in the EU internal market. Springer. p.p. 199-221 https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3- 030-29497-7.

url: https://ces.uc.pt/fct/jmcc/Capitulo_Jose_C_Caldas.pdf

CABRAL, N. C. e CALDAS, J. C. (orgs) (2020), A crise e o direito à segurança social: diagnóstico e perspetivas, Almedina: Coimbra. https://www.almedina.net/a-crise-e-o-direito-seguran-a-social-diagn-stico-e-perspetivas-1601643852.html.

url:https://ces.uc.pt/fct/jmcc/Cabral_e_Caldas_a_crise_e_o_direito_a_seguran%C3%A7a_social.pdf

CALDAS, J. C. (2020), “De que mais depende a sustentabilidade da segurança social?”, in CABRAL, N. C. e CALDAS, J. C. (orgs), A crise e o direito à segurança social: diagnóstico e perspetivas, Coimbra: Almedina, p.p. 59-76.

url: https://ces.uc.pt/fct/jmcc/Caldas_de_que_mais_depende_a_sustentabilidade_da_seguranca_social.pdf

ALMEIDA, J.R.; ALVES DA SILVA, A.; CALDAS, J.C. (2020), “Na periferia do emprego: o desemprego e o imperativo da proteção socio laboral”, in Como reorganizar um pais vulnerável?, Coimbra: Actual pp. 175-225.

url: https://ces.uc.pt/fct/jmcc/Almeida_Silva_e_Caldas_Na_periferia_do_emprego.pdf

CARMO, R. M.; CALEIRAS, J.; ROQUE, I.; ASSIS, R. (2021). “As teias da precariedade: Representações do mercado de trabalho e da proteção social”, in CARMO, R. M.; CALEIRAS, J.; ROQUE, I.; ASSIS, R. (eds.), O trabalho aqui e agora: crises, percursos e vulnerabilidades, Lisboa: Edições Tinta da China, p.p. 187-214. url: https://ces.uc.pt/fct/jmcc/as_teias_da_precariedade.pdf

OLIVEIRA, M.C. (2021). Recensão de MCBRIDE, Stephen; MAHON, Rianne; BOYCHUCK, Gerard W. (Orgs.) (2015) After ’08. Social Policy and the Global Financial Crisis. Vancouver: UBC Press. 352 PP. E-cadernos CES, 35, 2021, @cetera, recensões. https://doi.org/10.4000/eces.6457

OLIVEIRA, T. (2021). Recensão de Milanovic, B. (2020), “Capitalismo sem rivais: o futuro do sistema que domina o mundo”, Brazilian Journal of Latin American Studies, v. 20, nº 40, p.263-275. https://doi.org/10.11606/issn.1676-6288.prolam.2021.186291

OLIVEIRA, M.C. & OLIVEIRA, T. (2021). Apresentação do número especial “Trabalho e Proteção Social na América Latina: desenvolvimentos recentes e os desafios diante da crise pandêmica”. Brazilian Journal of Latin American Studies, Universidade de São Paulo, vol. 20, nº 40, pp. 1-22. https://www.revistas.usp.br/prolam/article/view/191898/176935

OLIVEIRA, M.C. & ALVES DA SILVA, A. (2021). “Employment and Social Protection: lessons from the Portuguese response to the pandemic”, HASp Policy Briefs, vol 2, no. 1, pp. 50-55. https://doi.org/10.12681/hapscpbs.27657

OLIVEIRA, T., OLIVEIRA, M.C. (2021), “Estratégia de desenvolvimento, trabalho e proteção social no pensamento contemporâneo da CEPAL”, Revista da Sociedade Brasileira de Economia Política, v. 1, p. 114-142. https://revistasep.org.br/index.php/SEP/article/view/724

OLIVEIRA, M.C & ALMEIDA CRAVO, T. (2021), “Social protection in Mozambique: cash transfers and local agency”, Caderno de Estudos Africanos, ISCTE-IUL, nº 41, pp. 165-194. https://doi.org/10.4000/cea.6474

OLIVEIRA, M.C. & OSORIO-GONNET, C. (2022), “Mudanças e continuidades entre o Chile Solidario ao Ingreso Ético Familiar”, RAP - Revista de Administração Pública, FGV EBAPE, v. 56, nº1,jan-fev, pp. 80-99. Disponível também em inglês: OLIVEIRA, M.C., OSORIO, C. (2022),“Change and continuity in the passage between Chile Solidario and Ingreso Ético Familiar” RAP - Revista de Administração Pública, FGV EBAPE, v. 56, nº 1, jan-fev, pp. 80-99.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/0034-761220210046

CALEIRAS, J.; CARMOS, R. M.; ROQUE, I.; ASSIS, R. V., (2022). “Pandemia, serviços públicos e trabalhadores vulneráveis em Portugal: uma relação ambivalente?”, Revista Brasileira de Economia Social e do Trabalho, do Instituto de Economia da Unicamp, Brasil. https://doi.org/10.20396/rbest.v4i00.16528

OLIVEIRA, M.C. (2022) New name, new programme? An analysis of Chilean conditional cash transfer programmes. Boletim FEUC et al., vol. 4, pp. 22-23. Coimbra: Faculdade de Economia da Universidade de Coimbra. url: https://ces.uc.pt/fct/jmcc/OLIVEIRA_M_C_(2022).pdf

OLIVEIRA, M.C. “Novos caminhos para a proteção social? Uma análise das propostas de organizações internacionais para a América Latina”, Revista de Estudos Internacionais, PUC Minas. DOC:  url: https://ces.uc.pt/fct/jmcc/Oliveira_(2022)_estudos_internacionais.pdf

Participation in Conferences

National Events

• CALDAS, J.M.C. “What else does the sustainability of social security depend on?”. Colloquium “The Right to Social Security Post-Crisis”. IDEFF, October 2018.
• CAPITÃO FERREIRA, M. “The Right to Social Security Post-Crisis”. Colloquium “The Right to Social Security Post-Crisis”. IDEFF, October 2018.
• ASSIS, R.V. “Precarious workers in Portugal”. Conference “The Global Impacts of COVID-19: The Pandemic and Workers' Lives”. State University of Vale do Acaraú, June 2021.
• ASSIS, R.V.; CALEIRAS, J.; CARMO, R.M.; ROQUE, I. “Vulnerable workers, labour market trajectories, and social protection”. Seminar “Beyond the Pandemic: How to Guarantee the Right to Social Security?”. IDEFF and CoLABOR, online event, January 2021.
• ASSIS, R.V.; CALEIRAS, J.; CARMO, R.M.; ROQUE, I. “‘I hope it is fair to me’: Representations and meanings of social protection among precarious workers in crisis contexts”. 4th Meeting of the Portuguese Association of Political Economy (APEP, online), January 2021.
• ASSIS, R.V.; CARMO, R.M.; CALEIRAS, J.; ROQUE, I. “Precariousness, labour market, and social protection: What do vulnerable workers say when talking about these topics?”. XI Portuguese Sociology Congress (APS, online), March 2021.
• CAROLO, D. “Social Security and ‘Independent’ Workers – The Importance of Social Security Contributions (TSU)”. Conference “Beyond the Pandemic: How to Guarantee the Right to Social Security?”. Virtual event. IDEFF and CoLABOR, 19 January 2021.
• OLIVEIRA, M.C. “Social Security in Times of Austerity: The Case of Portugal”. 4th Meeting of the Portuguese Association of Political Economy (APEP, online), 29 January 2021.
• PEDROSO, J. “Ensuring the Right to Social Security in Angola”. Seminar “Beyond the Pandemic: How to Guarantee the Right to Social Security?”. IDEFF and CoLABOR, online, January 2021.
• ASSIS, R.V. “The (In)Security of the Vulnerable: Profiles and Representations of Social Protection Among Precarious Workers”. Conference “Decommodifying Labour? From Employment (In)Security to Social Protection”. ISCTE – Lisbon University Institute, Lisbon, Portugal, 24 March 2022.
• ASSIS, R.; ROQUE, I. “Precarious Work, Informality, and (Lack of) Social Protection in Portugal: Portraits and Social Trajectories”. Seminar “The Right to Social Security in Capitalist Peripheries”. Closing Conference Cycle of the Project, held on 25 May 2022 via Zoom.
• ASSIS, R.; ROQUE, I.; CARMO, R.M.; CALEIRAS, J. “Work Here and Now: Crises, Trajectories, and Vulnerabilities in the Labour Market in Portugal”. 5th Annual Meeting of Political Economy, January 2022.

International Events

• OLIVEIRA, M.C.; CALDAS, J.C. “Social Policies Under Adjustment Programmes and Beyond: The Case of Portugal”. ECPR General Conference. Virtual Event. 24–28 August 2020.
• ASSIS, R.; CARMO, R.M. “Labour Market and Social Protection: Representations and Expectations of Vulnerable Workers in Portugal”. 15th Conference of the European Sociological Association, September 2021.
• CARMO, R.M.; ASSIS, R.V.; ROQUE, I.; CALEIRAS, J. “Precarity Regimes? Trajectories, Subjectivities, and Accumulation of Vulnerabilities”. Seminar “Social Rights Under Adjustment? A Tale of Two Crises” (IDEFF and CoLABOR, online), May 2021.
• CARMO, R.M.; ASSIS, R.V.; ROQUE, I.; CALEIRAS, J. “Work, Precariousness, and Reflexivity: A Theoretical Approach”. 15th Conference of the European Sociological Association - “Sociological Knowledge for Alternative Futures”. European Sociological Association, Barcelona, Spain, September 2021.
• OLIVEIRA, M.C. “Ideas and Policy Change: An Analysis of the Redesign of Portuguese Social Benefits During the Adjustment Period”. II International Conference on Policy Diffusion (UNIFESP and CEBRAP, online), 19 February 2021.
• OLIVEIRA, M.C. “Analysing Policy Change: The Portuguese Social Security System During the Adjustment Period”. Conference “IMF in Europe”. Virtual Event. NOVA SBE, 26 March 2021.
• OLIVEIRA, M.C. “Adjusting Social Policies: A Comparison Between Southern and Northern Countries’ Experiences”. Seminar “Social Rights Under Adjustment? A Tale of Two Crises” (IDEFF and CoLABOR, online), May 2021.
• OLIVEIRA, M.C.; PEDROSO, J. “Social Protection and Informality: The Cases of South Africa and Angola”. Colloquium “Making Public Policies in Africa” (LAM/Sciences Po Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France), 29 June 2021.
• OLIVEIRA, T. “Crises, Austerity, and Social Regression in Brazil”. Seminar “Social Rights Under Adjustment: A Tale of Two Crises” (IDEFF and CoLABOR, online), May 2021.
• PEDROSO, P. “Right to Social Security and Crisis Responses by Portuguese Governments (2009–2021)”. Seminar “Social Rights Under Adjustment? A Tale of Two Crises” (IDEFF and CoLABOR, online), 24 May 2021.
• ASSIS, R. “Between Social Insecurity and Labour Precariousness: Representations and Portraits of Vulnerable Workers in Portugal”. Conference “Social Security in Portuguese-Speaking Countries: Experiences and Learnings”, held on 30 May 2022 at the São Pedro de Alcântara Convent, Lisbon, Portugal.
• CANTANTE, F. “Social Security and Data Sources: The DataLabor Project”. Conference “Social Security in Portuguese-Speaking Countries: Experiences and Learnings”, held on 30 May 2022 at the São Pedro de Alcântara Convent, Lisbon, Portugal.
• CAROLO, D. “Access of Informal Workers to Social Security: The Case of Timor-Leste”. Conference “Social Security in Portuguese-Speaking Countries: Experiences and Learnings”, held on 31 May 2022 at the São Pedro de Alcântara Convent, Lisbon, Portugal.
• CARMO, R. “Labour Market, Duality, and Social Categories”. Conference “Social Security in Portuguese-Speaking Countries: Experiences and Learnings”, held on 30 May 2022 at the São Pedro de Alcântara Convent, Lisbon, Portugal.
• OLIVEIRA, M.C. “New Directions in Social Protection? Examining International Organisations’ Recommendations During COVID-19”. IPEG Annual Workshop (International Political Economy Group - British International Studies Association, online), 29 January 2022.
• OLIVEIRA, M.C. “Social Protection in Latin America: Recommendations by International Organisations During the First Year of the Pandemic”. Seminar “Brazil-Portugal Dialogues: The Situation of Social Protection and Workers” (CIES-ISCTE and UNISINOS, online), 17 February 2022.
• OLIVEIRA, M.C. “Ideas and Models of Social Security: What Role for Portuguese-Speaking Countries?”. Conference “Social Security in Portuguese-Speaking Countries: Experiences and Learnings”, held on 31 May 2022 at the São Pedro de Alcântara Convent, Lisbon, Portugal.
• OLIVEIRA, T. “Neoliberalism and the Labour Crisis in Brazil”. International Conference “Labour, Precariousness, and Solidarity Economy: Brazil and Portugal in Times of (Lack of) Social Protection” (CIES-ISCTE and UNISINOS, online), 18 February 2022.
• OLIVEIRA, T.; CALEIRAS, J. “Crises, Labour, and Social Unprotection: Brazil and Portugal in the Neoliberal Trap”. CES Seminar (CES-UC), 2 March 2022.
• OLIVEIRA, T. “Social Protection and Informal Work in Brazil: What Role for Employment Policies Today?”. Seminar “The Right to Social Security in Capitalist Peripheries”. Closing Conference Cycle of the Project, held on 25 May 2022 via Zoom.
• PEDROSO, J. “The Social Security System in Portugal: Present and Future Challenges”. Seminar “The Right to Social Security in Capitalist Peripheries”. Closing Conference Cycle of the Project, held on 19 May 2022 via Zoom.
• PEDROSO, J. “Access of Informal Workers to Social Security: The Case of Angola”. Conference “Social Security in Portuguese-Speaking Countries: Experiences and Learnings”, held on 31 May 2022 at the São Pedro de Alcântara Convent, Lisbon, Portugal.
• PEDROSO, P. “Social Security in Portuguese-Speaking Countries”. Conference “Social Security in Portuguese-Speaking Countries: Experiences and Learnings”, held on 31 May 2022 at the São Pedro de Alcântara Convent, Lisbon, Portugal.

Research Team

Prof. Dr. Marco Capitão Ferreira (PR) CIDEEFF

Dr. José Maria Castro Caldas CES

Prof. Dr. Eduardo Paz Ferreira CIDEEFF

Prof. Dr. Nazaré da Costa Cabral CIDEEFF

Dr. Tiago Oliveira CES

Prof. Dr. Clara Oliveira CES

Dr. Frederico Cantante CIES

Prof. Dr. João Pedroso CIES

Dr. Manuel Carvalho da Silva

Dr. Nuno Teles CIES

Prof. Dr. Paulo Pedroso CIES

Prof. Dr. Pedro Adão e Silva CIES

Prof. Dr. Renato Miguel do Carmo CIES

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