Epistemic Secrets of Labor Law: Towards a Decolonial Perspective on Value Creation

The existence of racism, ableism, sexism, and LGBTphobia within the worlds of (de)regulated labor is no longer a secret. Yet, there is something beyond a mere factual description of discrimination: the realization that coloniality, race, gender, and sexuality shape the very ways in which Labor Law is produced and understood. These epistemic secrets lie within its foundations and manifest in its categories, molding the legal meanings of body, subjectivity, time, and value. Focusing on this last category, we suggest that decolonial perspectives can reveal frequently overlooked dimensions of value creation in Labor Law, particularly regarding geopolitical power, gender, and race. Unveiling these secrets paves the way for rethinking the epistemology of Labor Law itself, aiming to challenge a legal sphere that, while born of insurgency, continuously metabolizes its own contradictions.

Flávia Máximo holds a PhD in Labor Law jointly from the Federal University of Minas Gerais and the University of Rome Tor Vergata. She is Professor of Labor Law and Social Security Law at the Federal University of Ouro Preto in Brazil. She is a member of the Democratizing Work International Research Network. She conducts research particularly on decoloniality, feminisms, the right to strike, and intersectional gender-based violence. She was honored by the Brazilian Bar Association in recognition of her significant contribution to legal education (2025) and received an award from the Brazilian Ministry of Education for best practices in universities (2023).