Survey of the socio-economic situation of waterway workers of the municipality of Coari - AM

The Amazon region is characterized by having a large fluvial network where cargo and passengers are transported by boat. The aim of this study was to describe the socio-economic profile of the waterway workers of Coari-AM. This was a quantitative and qualitative study. Data collection was conducted from August 2007 to June 2008 by applying a semi-structured questionnaire. The research project was approved by the research ethics committee of the Federal University of Amazonas, Protocol no 064/07. The sample was composed of a total of 194 waterway workers, 152 male and 42 female. Most of the workers were between 18 and 27 years of age (n=66), single (n=110). Regarding workload, 81 individuals worked up to 16 hours per day which corresponds to an exhaustive workload and, depending on their role on the vessel, risks to their general health. Therefore this research showed that the waterway worker has an exhaustive workload, often surpassing 16h/d, and is young and poorly educated, a fact that is reflected in the low wages. It is noteworthy that this employment is offered on an informal basis. Something that drew attention was the fact that the majority were unmarried, a situation resulting from the instability of their schedules and the short amount of time they spend on land.