ABSTRACT
The textile industry of Americana dates back to the early years of the century when a cotton spinning and weaving mill was established. In addition, one of Brazil's largest and most powerful yarn producers, Matarazzo, contributed to the multiplication of small subcontracted weaving sheds by delivering considerable quantities of cellulosic yarn to Americana. The people who become subcontractors usually come from the internal labour force of textile firms. The subcontractor's income follows the ups and downs in the textile industry very closely. Many of the firms which are of medium or large size owe their growth to the use of external subcontracted workshops. In fact, one multinational firm, geared to large-scale production, kept subcontractors mainly in order to cope with small orders. The multinational firms are at the forefront of establishing a new pattern of labour utilisation in the textile industry, in particular with regard to recruitment and training.
