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If it is true that the central goal of trade unions is to assist workers in order to protect their best interests, this goal can only be achieved through a deeper knowledge of the rights and duties of both employees and employers. In a context where the labour demand becomes smaller and smaller they both have to fight hard to protect their interests. Endorsed by public authorities, the workers find it very hard to deal with the employers whose influence extends to the government to an extent that allows all sort of abuse and differing practices. The aim of this research in to analyse the social bond in the action of the union. Some of the problems that may arise are as follows: how can Unions defend workers in a context of fragility and job shortage? How to act when the labour code is not in favour of the workers? Is the interference in Unions from public authorities and the development of informal work the real obstacles to the development of the Union action? The theoretical framework is built upon the social bond theory and the ethnography field, aiming to get a better understanding of the sense that actors give to their everyday constructions. The method used is essentially qualitative and is supported by the observations on the field and the analysis of documents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]