CUT: The Déda and Dilma governments need to engage in more dialogue with unions.

Sergipe 247 – The president of the Unified Workers' Central (CUT) in Sergipe, Rubens Marques (better known as Professor Dudu), in an interview with Jornal do Dia this weekend, stated that the government of President Dilma Rousseff (PT) "needs to engage in better dialogue with the labor movement and social movements in order to gain support from the streets to carry out the major reforms that Brazil needs." He also said it is "incomprehensible that a governor who knows the labor movement as well as Marcelo Déda (PT) lives in constant conflict with unions and union leaders as he does."

According to Professor Dudu, "without popular support, the reform proposals will remain shelved in the National Congress." "I argue that it is far better to make a pact with the people and hold accountable anyone who opposes them for corporate interests, rather than making pacts with opportunistic political groups through the exchange of positions, as has been happening. Dilma's dialogue with the workers leaves much to be desired," he emphasizes.

Regarding the state administration, the president of CUT says that "at the beginning of his first term, Déda was right to establish a permanent negotiation table to dialogue with public sector unions, but he later abandoned the idea, and this has provoked and continues to provoke several strikes."

According to the CUT (Unified Workers' Central) in Sergipe, the main demands of the labor movement are currently: a reduction in the work week without a decrease in pay, from 44 to 40 hours (which, according to the union, would generate 2,5 million new jobs); an end to the social security factor; 10% of GDP for education; an end to the auctions of oil wells; an end to unjustified dismissals in the private sector; a fight against outsourcing; agrarian and urban reform; political reform; tax reform; wage increases; and parity for retirees.

“First of all, we want to put the working class's agenda on the table of President Dilma, the National Congress, governors, mayors, legislative assemblies, etc. The employers' agenda has been advancing at our expense. Business owners in many sectors have obtained payroll tax exemptions, IPI, ICMS and other tax breaks, in other words, they don't give up any profit margin, and we end up paying the bill, because without tax revenue there is no way to invest in public policies,” he emphasized.