Labor unions advocate for the repeal of labor reform after signals from Lula and Gleisi.
"The changes happening in Spain give us hope that here too we can review aspects of a reform imposed without debate," the statement says.
247 - The country's main trade union centers defended on Wednesday (5) the opening of the debate to revoke the labor reform, approved in 2017 in the government of Michel Temer and in the wake of the 2016 coup.
The demonstration takes place shortly after the president of the PT party, congresswoman Gleisi Hoffmann, and former president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva... signaling support for discussions on restoring labor rights that were taken away by the reform..
In a statement signed by the Unified Workers' Central (CUT); Força Sindical; General Workers' Union (UGT); Central of Brazilian Unions (CSB); Central of Workers and Workers of Brazil (CTB) and Central Union of Workers (CST), the workers' organizations praise the initiative of the labor "counter-reform" that was agreed upon between the government, employers and workers' unions in Spain to repeal the reform carried out in 2012.
"The changes happening in Spain give us hope that here too we can review aspects of a reform that was imposed without social debate and with a deliberate pro-capital and anti-union bias," says the statement, released by... Folha de S. Paul.
The labor unions claim that the Spanish movement "could be a signal that encourages" the reopening of this debate in Brazil. "Four years later, it is clear that the objectives of Michel Temer's (MDB) labor reform, expanded and deepened by Bolsonaro, have proven to be a disaster for the working class and for the nation," they say.
Since the change in legislation, unemployment has increased, as has the precariousness of labor relations, the organizations state. "This was already the situation before the pandemic in March 2020. After the adoption of the necessary measures to contain the coronavirus, the crisis became a true calamity."
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Presidential candidates in this year's elections need to put on the agenda the end of the flexibilization of rights and the repeal of the labor reform. For experts, Spain, which was a model for the creation of the new legislation in 2017, also needs to be an example for the overturning of the current policy. Last Tuesday (4), the Spanish parliament revoked harmful effects of the new labor laws approved in 2012.
In 2017, then-President Michel Temer (MDB) enacted a labor reform (Law 13.467/2017), a set of changes to the provisions of the Consolidation of Labor Laws (CLT). The project increased job insecurity, did not create jobs, reduced workers' income, and harmed collective bargaining and labor unions.
According to Diesse's deputy director, Patrícia Pelatieri, the repeal of Spain's labor reform is "good news for Brazilian workers," showing that there is a possibility of recovering some of the lost rights. Patricia explains that the project approved in Brazil only lowered wages, which were never high. "We are a low-income country with terrible distribution. If you impoverish the population, you also impoverish the economy. So, the business sector that defended the reform was very foolish, even more so those who advocate for deepening this flexibilization," she stated in an interview with journalist Glauco Faria of RBA.
Recovery of rights
Among the main changes in Brazilian legislation are the creation of the intermittent work contract, the introduction of the idea of negotiated agreements prevailing over legislation, the expansion of part-time work, and the expansion of outsourcing. According to the director of Dieese, it will still take a long time to recover what has been lost, therefore "we need to start this recovery as soon as possible."
Speaking to Rádio Brasil Atual, former Minister of Labor and Social Security, Luiz Marinho (PT), added that the restoration of rights needs to be a key issue in the next presidential election. “The policy of precarization implemented after the 2016 coup has worsened the problem of unemployment and underemployment. In 2022, we have the democratic possibility of making the right choice and gradually dreaming again of full employment,” he stated.
Just yesterday, former President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva drew attention to the repeal process in Spain. He also hinted that this could be a project presented in his future candidacy. "It's important that Brazilians closely follow what's happening with the labor reform in Spain, where President Pedro Sánchez is working to restore workers' rights," he tweeted.
According to Luiz Marinho, repealing the new Brazilian labor legislation needs to be a commitment from the progressive camp. "Lula is signaling that this should be one of the solutions for Brazil's current situation. It is entirely possible to reclaim rights and reverse the labor reform without having to return to the past and while guaranteeing rights," he added.