Labor unions demand aid for the poor and halt to privatizations in Brazil

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Brazilian labor unions protested this Wednesday against the privatizations promoted by the government of President Jair Bolsonaro and demanded to increase subsidies to the poorest, those most affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.

The protest was held at the gates of Congress and preceded the delivery of a document to the parliamentary authorities, in which a so-called “emergency agenda” was presented with proposals covering political, economic, and health issues, the latter referring to a pandemic that has already killed more than 450,000 Brazilians.

In this sense, they demanded the extension of the vaccination program against the coronavirus, which in Brazil is advancing at a snail’s pace, to workers in sectors most exposed to the pandemic, among which they mentioned transportation and commerce.

They also expressed their support for the temporary suspensions of economic activities adopted by governors and mayors, even though the Bolsonaro government rejects them to help contain Covid-19 infections when specialists warn of a new wave of the pandemic in the country.

In return, they demanded an increase in the value of the subsidy approved by the Government for the poorest in the context of the health crisis, which today ranges between R$150 and R$375 (US$30 and US$75).

The unions demand the reinstatement of the minimum of R$600 (US$ 120) which was in force for a good part of 2020 but was reduced due to a worsening of the fiscal situation, also caused by the economic impact of the pandemic.

Another demand of the workers’ organizations is the interruption of the privatization process promoted by Bolsonaro’s government in the framework of his liberal economic agenda, which has as its next step the company Eletrobras, the largest power generator in Brazil and one of the main distributors of electricity.

According to the unions, the privatizations will further aggravate the already high unemployment rates, today around 14%. As the Government itself has admitted, unemployment will only fall as the vaccination process advances and the economy recovers.

The event was attended by some 300 people, a small number but which the trade union organizations justified by the measures needed to prevent crowds in times of pandemic.

Even so, in recent years, labor unions have lost much of their influence, to the point that, according to official data, today, barely 10% of workers are actively affiliated with a union.

Nevertheless, the trade unions are already coordinating among themselves given the 2022 elections, in which Bolsonaro will seek a new four-year term. However, incipient polls show former president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, the former labor leader who managed to come to power in Brazil, as the favorite.

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