Labor unions are organizing a national demonstration on August 16th.
Faced with the difficulty of organizing a general strike, the national president of CUT (Central Única dos Trabalhadores), Vagner Freitas, said that the union is preparing actions that serve as a "warm-up" for this mobilization; "Workers will go on general strike if there's any change in working hours, social security, or the CLT (Consolidation of Labor Laws). Maintaining their rights is part of the process, and unemployment, which is at alarming levels, is an aggravating factor," he stated; with actions throughout Brazil, the 16th will serve as a warning to the interim government, according to labor organizations.
By Gibran Mendes, from Brazil of Fact - The Circus of Democracy's ring turned to the world of work on the morning of the 9th, where an event with the main labor unions debated the challenges that organizations will face in defending the rights of the working class. The flexibilization of rights, pension reform, and negotiated agreements taking precedence over legislation are some of the threats that the coup government is imposing on Brazil.
Given this scenario, the challenge arises of organizing a general strike, and the upcoming August 16th, when demonstrations will take place throughout Brazil, serves as a warning to the coup plotters.
Faced with the difficulty of organizing a general strike, the national president of CUT (Central Única dos Trabalhadores), Vagner Freitas, said that the union is preparing actions that serve as a "warm-up" for this mobilization. "Workers will go on general strike if there's a change in working hours, social security, or the CLT (Consolidation of Labor Laws). Maintaining their rights is part of the process, and unemployment, which is at alarming levels, is an aggravating factor," he stated.
Campaign and attacks against unions
For him, any setback in social rights is unacceptable. One of the main threats at the moment is the attempt to implement negotiated agreements over legislation. In this case, the relationship between employee and employer dictates the rules that will supersede the rights guaranteed by the CLT (Brazilian Labor Law). "It's not because unions are afraid of negotiation or are complacent with the legislation. It's because Brazilian business owners are not moving towards an equal relationship, quite the opposite. What is happening today is a worldwide campaign against unions," argued Freitas, who also cited pension reform and outsourcing as other major threats to workers' rights. "We accept negotiated agreements over legislation, as long as it is what is above the CLT and what is best for the worker," he concluded.
João Carlos Gonçalves, known as Juruna, a representative of the Força Sindical labor union, analyzed the differences between the unions during the impeachment process of elected President Dilma Rousseff, but reinforced the need for unity at this moment. "I would like to raise this concern, the need for unity of action to guarantee rights. More than that: in the National Congress, the vote will be against us. We will seek even greater support from the population on these issues," said Juruna.
The representative of the Central Workers' Union of Brazil (CTB), José Agnaldo, followed the same line and reinforced the importance of the unity of the working class in this perilous scenario. "It's a moment for unity, our rights are in danger and we have to demonstrate this unity. We will ensure that our rights advance and do not regress. The CTB, together with the other unions, with the people, will be in the streets to defend rights and raise the banner of democracy," he guaranteed.
Resistance Front
During the meeting, the creation of a Resistance Front in Paraná against the erosion of social rights was proposed. The proposal came from the Institutes for the Defense of the Working Class (Declatra) and Popular Democracy (IDP). "The scenario is not good, regardless of the outcome (of the impeachment vote in the Senate). The National Congress is linked to the most conservative oligarchies, and that is what we must combat. The idea is to create a resistance front against the erosion of rights, composed of labor unions, syndicates, and other civil society organizations, promoting activities in defense of workers," stated lawyer Nasser Allan.
According to him, there is an ongoing process of dismantling the State, especially as a driver of social policies, moving towards a "minimal State." "The pension reform is part of this, transforming the State into a minimal structure that does not guarantee health, education, and social security. In this case, it will be difficult for anyone to retire, and if they do, it will be for a short time," he argued.