Reduction of working load and reduction of losses to retired people are among the highlights in the agenda proposed by six union centrals and by six parties

On Thursday (21), representatives of six union centrals submitted to the president of the Chamber, Michel Temer, an agenda with bills considered as priority in the labor area.

The main item of that agenda, which was stressed by the unionists, is the reduction of the maximum weekly workload, from 44 to 40 hours – the Bill on a Constitutional Amendment (PEC) 213/95.

Michel Temer affirmed he will insert the bills in the agenda as the negotiations with the parties’ leaders advance. “The centrals asked me to take one bill per month to the House Floor. I will check with the leaders, since some consensus is necessary – not on their merit, but on the possibility to insert them in the agenda”, he declared.

The Confederation of Skilled-Workers Unions, the Workers Central Labor Union (CUT) the General Workers Union (UGT) the Workers Central of Brazil (CTB), the New Workers Central Labor Union (NCST) and the Workers General Central of Brazil (CGTB) sign that document. The agenda on the priorities was elaborated together with six parties - PDT, PT, PSB, PCdoB, PV and PTB.

Considerable impact
The president of the Confederation of Skilled-Workers Unions, deputy Paulo Pereira da Silva (PDT-SP), affirmed that the selected bills impact the life of millions of workers, can generate new jobs (in the case of the workday reduction) and guarantee a higher remuneration to retired people (a project which puts an end to the social-security factor).

“We will pressure the Chamber to vote those bills”, said Paulo Pereira. The intention of the Union Centrals is that at least one bill be voted per month.

The president of the General Worker’s Central of Brazil (CGTB), Antonio Neto, also defended the reduction of workday, to generate more jobs in Brazil. He reminded that, last year, the centrals brought to the chamber more than 1,600,000 signatures supporting that bill.

“In some sectors, such as in commerce, a regular workweek lasts up to 60 hours. We need to regulate that. Since 1988, the workday has not been touched. The moment arrived for us to conquer that”, said Neto.

Agenda
In addition to the reduction of the workday – whose voting should happen in the form of the PEC 231/95 and of the Bill 4653/94 – other items in the centrals’ agenda are:

- Voting of a substitution bill by its rapporteur, Deputy Pepe Vargas (PT-RS), to the bill which puts an end to the social-security factor (PL 3299/08);
- Approval of the Bill 1/07, which establishes the policy on the accretion of the minimum wage;
- The approval of the Bill on a Constitutional Amendment 438/01, which expropriates rural properties in which there is slave labor;
- The approval of the Convention 151 of the International Labor Organization (ILO), on collective negotiation in civil service, such as provided for in the Bill on a Legislative Decree (PDC) 795/08;
- Reading of a message from the Executive (MSC 389/03) for the exclusion of Bill 4302/98, which handles labor outsourcing.
- Approval of a law prohibiting the unmotivated dismissal, in the terms of the Convention 158 of ILO.

Paulo Pereira reminded that the end of the social-security factor and the policy on the accretion of the minimum wage still need an agreement with the government basis, so that they can be voted.

Minimum-wage correction
The national secretary of Finances of the Workers Central Labor Union (CUT), Jacy Afonso de Melo, defended the idea that the correction of the minimum wage in 2010 be related to the 2008 Gross National Product (GNP), since the economic growth should be smaller than the 2009 one.

In the following years, though, that variation could become, at least, equivalent to the growth of the GNP in the former year. “We want the minimum wage to have a real increase, according to GNP, and that it is reviewed every five years, but according to a permanent policy, until 2022”, he said.

Report - Rodrigo Bittar
Editing - Newton Araújo
Translation - Positive Idiomas Ltda