Brazil's Progressive Labor Laws Under Attack: Protests Erupt as Government Tries to Roll Back Protections for Brazilian Workers
Recent labor reforms and austerity measures proposed by the Brazilian government ignited the biggest national strike in decades this week. The protests, which were the result of an inflammatory call to action put out by various labor unions and social movements, inspired thousands of Brazilians to take to the streets of Brasília and other major cities on April 28th. Teachers, transportation managers, healthcare professionals, and public servants all joined the strike, leading to the closure of several post offices, banks, and public transportation systems across the country. According to Central Única dos Trabalhadores (CUT), the largest workers’ union in Brazil, 35 million Brazilians did not attend work the first day of the strike.
The protest started in the early hours of the morning, with the help of the Homeless Workers’ Movement (MST), and was poignantly planned for the weekend ahead of Brazil’s national Labor Day. Although protesters relied mostly on traditional non-violent tactics, such as barricading streets and highways, some of the protests turned violent. Some individuals burned buses or broke property and police forces fired back with tear gas. Much of the most intense back-and-forth between public civilians and police forces took place near the State Congress in Rio or on the popular Paulista Avenue in São Paulo. Hundreds of protesters were detained.
Since the ousting of President Dilma Rousseff in August 2016, Brazil has witnessed wave after wave of protest and organized civil resistance. The current administration under President Michel Temer is extremely unpopular because of the President’s attempted rollback of social security and other globally advanced labor laws. The country formerly promoted its specialized labor courts and its own labor public prosecution office. “The labor law reforms will take away social rights that were long fought for, and only big businesses will win. And as for the social security reform, I believe it is needed, but not how the government has acted on it,” said Jessica Lima. Lima is an employee of the Labor Public Prosecution Office in the city of Maceio.
Temer argues his government’s reforms are necessary to rescue Brazil from its ongoing recession, the worst on record for the country, but the public understands the new policies will only strip rights from workers and give more power to employers. The new reforms will tighten and restrict collective agreements between employers and employees, which could pressure workers to accept disadvantageous terms at the threat of dismissal. Additionally, the administration seeks to end the prohibition on preventing pregnant and lactating women from having to work in hazardous environments. The new labor laws extend the workday without matched compensation, and propose to increase the minimum retirement age.
Although the protests had astounding participation rates, the government and Brazilian state media - which is mainly controlled by families close to right-wing political parties - downplayed the significance of the strikes and the protests. According to Emanuelle Brandao, a Professor of Communications at the Federal University of Alagoas, “The traditional media has contributed to the angst in Brazil by demonizing social movements and by focusing only on protester’s violent actions and the resulting disorder.”
Temer’s administration stated the reforms will supposedly go through untouched, but discussions on restricting social security have been postponed - a testament to the power of the strike.
