Precarious work of social workers in health care: analysis of challenges and resistance strategies

Abstract

This article analyzes the precariousness in the work of social workers in the health
sector, utilizing an approach based on historical and dialectical materialism and critical
social theory. Through a bibliographic survey in qualified journals, essential categories
such as understanding health, labor precariousness, challenges faced, and coping
strategies were identified and analyzed. The research reveals how the contemporary
capitalist logic, marked by outsourcing, low wages, and work overload negatively
impacts these professionals’ working conditions. Despite the adversities, social workers
develop resistance strategies, aligning their actions with the profession’s theoreticalmethodological,
ethical-political, and technical-operative dimensions to ensure users
rights and the effectiveness of the SUS (Unified Health System). The study highlights
the importance of the ongoing struggle for democratized access to health care and the
construction of a more just and equal society, reaffirming the social workers’ commitment
to the working class.