According to the minister of the General Secretariat of the Presidency, a ‘non-negotiable’ issue for Lula should be voted on this semester
The Minister of the General Secretariat of the Presidency, stated this Wednesday (21), that the project that reduces the 6×1 working day is “advancing very well” with sectors of Congress. According to the minister, there is a possibility that the topic will be voted on this semester.
Government priorityo has two fronts in Congress. There are four Proposals for Amendments to the Constitution (PEC) on the subject, the oldest of which, from 2015, had an opinion, which determines a period of gradual transition until the maximum working day of 36 hours per week, approved at the end of last year. In the Chamber, a PEC authored by deputy Erika Hilton (PSOL-SP) awaits analysis by the Work Committee.
In an interview with the program Bom Dia, Minister, from Empresa Brasil de Comunicação (EBC), Boulos said that the proposal facesbut that there will be no retreat from the government in addressing the issue. According to the head of the General Secretariat, this is a “non-negotiable” topic for Lula.
“Businesspeople resist as they have always resisted any worker’s right. The landowners of the 19th century resisted the Golden Law. If it were up to them, it would still be slavery today. When Getúlio Vargas created the minimum wage, they said it would be chaos and that companies would leave Brazil. When he created the CLT, with 13th, paid vacation, an eight-hour day, they said it would generate unemployment and would be a shot in the foot for the worker”, stated the Minister of the General Secretariat.
However, Boulos admitted that, with the correlation of forces in Congress and the actions of companies, the government’s perspective is to reduce the work schedule to five days worked and two days off, leaving aside the proposal of four working days present in the initial text of the PEC of
“The lobbying power, the firepower of big businessmen and those who gain from the exploitation of workers is gigantic in this country. There is a lot of money, there are a lot of people who are heirs who defend a 6×1 scale for others, but are there at dinner with caviar and champagne. There are a lot of people saying oh, people have to work, but they have never worked in their lives”, said Boulos.
The Minister of the General Secretariat also defended a model of transition and adaptation of the reduction in working hours so that it does not affect small business owners. In the interview, he attacked the interest rate and nominally asked the president of the Central Bank, Gabriel Galípolo, to reduce the Selic rate, arguing that this would be the main obstacle for small and medium-sized producers.
“Part of the problem that will alleviate small, medium and even large businesspeople in Brazil is the reduction of the excruciating, unjustifiable interest rate of usury that we have in Brazil. There is nothing that justifies Selic interest at 15% per year, any liberal economist can come here with their little talk”, said Boulos.
*With Estadão Content
