Labor Day: Fight to shorten workweek in Brazil


Currently, several proposals on this topic are pending in Congress. President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has sent a bill to the Legislature with constitutional urgency to end the 6x1 schedule and reduce the workweek from 44 to 40 hours.
Rallies
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The goal is to expand dialogue with the public and strengthen the organization of the working class in local communities. At regional headquarters, rallies will be organized in partnership with local unions. The initiative seeks to bring programs that combine civic engagement, culture, and social mobilization to neighborhoods and municipalities.
Among the issues deemed urgent by CUT for this May Day are the reduction of the workweek without a pay cut, the fight against femicide, the strengthening of collective bargaining as a fundamental tool to ensure concrete improvements in working conditions, and the guarantee of rights for public servants, among others.
For the Brazilian Workers’ Central (CTB), “this year’s May 1st goes beyond a symbolic celebration and serves as a platform for social pressure to bring about concrete changes. Among the issues that should be highlighted are the fight against job insecurity, the need for public policies that strengthen the economy, and the defense of basic rights that guarantee dignity for the working population.”
The General Workers’ Union (UGT) will launch the 12th edition of Expo Paulista, in celebration of Labor Day, on Paulista Avenue. The exhibition will feature 30 panels on the theme “This Is an Achievement: Struggles and Victories of the Brazilian Worker,” created by Brazilian fashion designer Ronaldo Fraga.
Considered the largest open-air exhibition in Latin America, the panels will be on display until May 31, with an expected daily attendance of 1.5 million people.
The exhibition offers a visual reflection on the world of work, its transformations, and the challenges that shape the history of the Brazilian worker.
With activities also scheduled in various cities across the state of São Paulo, the Central of Brazilian Trade Unions (CSB) says they raise greater awareness of the movement’s demands and allow for direct contact with workers, thereby expanding grassroots mobilization.