On October 25th, 1941, nine Unions, impelled by the democratic idealism of commercial entrepreneurs, have consolidated the union activities, which have started in Brazil based on the Law no. 979/06/1903. Up until the 30's, there was no such a thing as a rights request organized labor union.

Disagreements were lowermost. In Brazil, everything was just about to be done. With the revolution during the 30's, there was a union awareness awakening, in face of the agricultural aristocracy, which up until then was the dominant party. The need for a power balance enabled the appearance of unions for the employers and for the unemployed. The consolidation of labor laws, approved by the Decree no.5.452, organized, in the commercial field, the union, in the base where it represents individual and collective companies.

The FECAERJ, nowadays called Rio de Janeiro's Commercial Federation, which resulted from the union's grouping in the state range, has placed the Confederation, formed by the Federation's union, in the edge of the system, at a national level. Such hierarchical integration holds the legal privilege of representing the economic activities of the commercial trade entrepreneurs.

Fifty years gone by enable us to make a concise evaluation of the activity developed by Commerce, servicing its affiliates. This entity, since its first acclaimed President, has been trying, based on productivity, to become more active, modern and vigorous in fulfilling its consultancy goals, acting whenever requested in the guidance of collective negotiations, labor justice and defense of the category before the federal, state and municipal governments.

LIST OF SECTORS:

- COMMERCE OF COFFEE AT RIO DE JANEIRO'S MUNICIPALITY
- COMMERCE OF FRESH AND FROZEN MEAT AT RIO DE JANEIRO
- COMMERCE OF DRUGS AND MEDICATION AT RIO DE JANEIRO
- COMMERCE OF FRUITS AT RIO DE JANEIRO'S MUNICIPALITY
- COMMERCE OF GROCERY ITEMS AT RIO DE JANEIRO'S MUNICIPALITY
- COMMERCE OF JEWELRY AND WATCHES AT RIO DE JANEIRO'S MUNICIPALITY
- COMMERCE OF FIXTURES, PAINTS AND HARDWARE AT RIO DE JANEIRO'S
   MUNICIPALITY
- COMMERCE OF GENERAL MACHINERY AT RIO DE JANEIRO'S MUNICIPALITY
- COMMERCE OF CONSTRUCTION MATERIAL AT RIO DE JANEIRO'S MUNICIPALITY
- COMMERCE OF FABRICS, CLOTHES AND HABERDASHERY AT RIO DE JANEIRO'S    MUNICIPALITY
- COMMERCE OF FLAT GLASS, CRYSTALS AND MIRRORS AT RIO DE JANEIRO'S    MUNICIPALITY
- COMMERCE OF GEMS
- DISTRIBUTION COMPANIES OF FUELS AND LUBRICANTS

THE SOCIAL PEACE LETTER
This document's guidelines have been discussed and agreed upon during the Conference of Teresópolis.
The initiative was a result of the democratic vision of enterprise men who were worried about creating an environment of harmonic interests between employers and employees, aiming to benefit national's wealth growth and, as a consequence, the Country's social welfare and political stability.
Both employers and employees in Brazil, who dedicate themselves to the various branches of economic activities - have declared the LETTER, recognizing that world peace has its fundaments in economic order, through which it is possible to fraternize men, therefore strengthening feelings of fellowship and trust.

The immediate action which was adopted was the insertion of the resolution's essence of Teresópolis and of the Social Peace Letter: creation of the Commercial Learning National Center (SENAC) and the Commercial Social Service (SESC). The Republic's President of that time, José Linhares, through the Executive Law no. 8.261, assigned to entrepreneurs the responsibility of creating, organization and management of SENAC- The organization's mission: To offer cultural and professional improvement for those who provide work for trade companies.
The other significant social value strength, which was made effective by the Brazilian Commerce entrepreneurs, rebuilt on September 13th, 1946 - the creation of the Commerce Social Service (SESC) - The experience of 45 years of activities, already celebrating its existence entirely dedicated to social welfare and improvement of life standards of commerce workers and their families, as well as the collective civil and moral improvement.