Lula calls for increased union pressure to advance labor demands in Brazil

Brasilia, Apr. 15 (EFE).- Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva urged trade union federations on Wednesday to step up political and social pressure to advance their labor demands during a meeting held in Brasilia.

CAMERA: ALEX MIRKHAN.

STATEMENTS BY LUIZ INÁCIO LULA DA SILVA, PRESIDENT OF BRAZIL.

TRANSLATION:

"SOON SOMEONE WILL COME FORWARD PROPOSING WORKING HOURS SIMILAR TO THOSE PROPOSED IN ARGENTINA. SOON, IT WILL BE ARGUED THAT SPENDING TOO MUCH TIME AT HOME IS IDLENESS THAT LEADS WORKERS TO DRINK, SO IDLENESS IS HARMFUL TO THE WORKER."

"IN OTHER WORDS, NO ONE TALKS ABOUT THE FACT THAT PEOPLE WANT TO STUDY, WANT TO SPEND TIME WITH THEIR FAMILIES, THAT WOMEN WANT TO HAVE MORE TIME. ON THEIR ONLY DAY OFF, WOMEN WORK HARDER THAN THEY DO IN THE FACTORY. THEY HAVE TO DO THE LAUNDRY, CLEAN THE HOUSE... THEY WORK TWICE AS HARD." "TODAY WE TOOK TWO IMPORTANT STEPS, BUT THIS IS ONLY THE BEGINNING. THE STRUGGLE DOESN’T END HERE; IT BEGINS HERE. WE DON’T KNOW WHAT WILL HAPPEN IN THE ELECTION, BUT NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS, WE CANNOT ABANDON THE SACRED RESPONSIBILITY TO FIGHT, FIGHT, AND FIGHT FOR THE WORKERS WE REPRESENT."

STATEMENTS BY GUILHERME BOULOS, MINISTER OF THE GENERAL SECRETARIAT OF BRAZIL.

TRANSLATION:

"BECAUSE TODAY, IN FACT, PRESIDENT LULA’S COURAGEOUS DECISION TO URGENTLY SUBMIT A BILL TO END THE 6-DAY WORKWEEK AND 1-DAY REST DAY SYSTEM IN THIS COUNTRY WAS PUBLISHED IN THE OFFICIAL GAZETTE, REDUCING THE WORKWEEK TO 40 HOURS WITHOUT A PAY CUT."

ANTONIO NETO, PRESIDENT OF THE BRAZILIAN TRADE UNION CENTRAL.

TRANSLATION:

"THE SUPREME COURT CANNOT ACCEPT THAT WORKERS SUCH AS STREET SWEEPERS, SUPERMARKET CASHIERS, RETAIL CLERKS, METALWORKERS, BANK EMPLOYEES, AND TECHNOLOGY PROFESSIONALS BECOME FICTITIOUS LEGAL ENTITIES. THIS IS NOT ENTREPRENEURSHIP, IT IS NOT FREEDOM; IT IS FRAUD WITH A MODERN TWIST, TO USE THE CURRENT SLANG."