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Brazil's trade union centres seek to further the country's development

26 July, 2018Brazil's seven trade union centres have come together to launch a "Priority Agenda for the Working Class", which includes recommendations on how to further the country's development. They are also organizing a national day against unemployment on 10 August.

The CUT, CSB, CTB, Força Sindical, Intersindical, Nueva Central and UGT have set out an agenda aimed at getting Brazil back on the path to development by promoting democracy, generating high-quality jobs and ensuring social justice. The agenda also seeks to tackle informal work arrangements, precarious work, and the lack of job security.

"With the priority agenda for the working class, we have brought our trade union centres together to demonstrate our intention to mobilize workers so that they take assertive action. We have adopted a forward-looking approach to the challenges we face, mindful of the responsibility we share in building our Country and our Nation",

states the document.

The agenda aims to steer the national debate that will take shape in the three months leading up to the presidential election in October. The trade unions hope that the candidates will commit to the agenda's emergency measures to get Brazil's economy back on track and create jobs.

The 22 recommendations include measures to: tackle unemployment, which now affects 28 million workers; create jobs for all members of society, and particularly young people; restart infrastructure projects; and put in place policies to protect the unemployed.

In addition, the union centres will hold a national day against unemployment on 10 August. They will campaign against the reforms introduced by Michel Temer's government and demand that steps be taken to get the country back on track and tackle unemployment. There will also be protests against the rise in the prices of oil and its derivatives, and to advocate for workers’ rights to security.

On the day, employees will hold work stoppages, followed by demonstrations across Brazil's different states to campaign for the proposed economic measures. By joining forces in this way, the centres will show that the union movement is capable of collectively organizing workers at a time when their rights are under threat.

The trade unions condemn the dismantling of social policies and the privatization and handing over of state assets that are of strategic importance for the future of the country. As such, they are stepping up their opposition to the reforms, which threaten workers’ fundamental rights.

"At IndustriALL Global Union, we are backing this key initiative by Brazil's trade union centres to unite the working class. We also support the national day against unemployment on 10 August. It is an important step in the fight against the actions of an illegitimate, coup-installed government that threaten workers' rights. We urge our affiliates to express their support for this event",

said the IndustriALL general secretary Valter Sanches.