O direito humano à liberdade de trabalho e o combate ao trabalho em condição análoga à escravidão no Rio Grande do Norte: uma análise da aplicação do controle de convencionalidade no âmbito das decisões judiciais do tribunal regional do trabalho da 21ª região

Abstract

This article analyzes the application of the control of conventionality by the Regional Labor Court of the 21st Region (TRT-21) in lawsuits involving work in conditions analogous to slavery, delimited to the period between 2020 and 2025. The central objective is to diagnose if and how judges in the state of Rio Grande do Norte utilize international human rights standards as a legal basis for their judicial decisions. To this end, the methodology adopts a deductive approach, starting with a literature review to establish the concepts of freedom, human rights, and the theory of the control of conventionality within the scope of Labor Law. Subsequently, a jurisprudential analysis of the decisions issued by TRT-21 during the mentioned period is conducted. As a result, the study identifies the main cases and maps how international treaties are applied, or not, in addressing this violation. It concludes by highlighting the role of the Labor Courts in enforcing international guarantees, pointing out the importance of the control of conventionality as a tool for protecting the dignity of the worker.