Alwaght- Brazilians have called for a general strike on Friday in protest against US-backed President Michel Temer’s neoliberal reforms.
Dozens of labor unions and grassroots organizations in Brazil are participating in the strike that comes amid a dismal disapproval rating for the Temer administration — a staggering 87 percent.
Brazilian labor leaders plan to shut down public transportation, airlines and other public sector work, World Socialist Web Site reports.
Friday’s general strike is largely organized by the Unified Workers Central, the largest union federation in Latin America, and the Workers Party of Brazil, former president Dilma Rousseff’s political party.
The strike was called immediately after Temer’s administration pushed through a controversial labor reform bill on Wednesday in Brazil's chamber of deputies. The reform would undermine workers’ rights by eliminating payment for their commute from their contracts, reducing compensation for employer abuse, and most importantly, allowing employers reduce workers’ salaries while increasing their work hours.
The bill, which proposes to end mandatory union dues, must still be approved by the Senate. It was approved by Brazil's lower house by 296 votes to 177.
Temer's government, grabbed power in May 12 2016 when Brazil's Senate suspended leftist President Dilma Rousseff in what has been termed as a 'soft coup'. Rousseff, speaking after being notified of her suspension said, "I may have made mistakes but I did not commit any crime." She called the impeachment "fraudulent" and "a coup."
WikiLeaks documents show Brazil's Temer, previously spied for the US spy agencies in the country.
According to the whistleblowing website, Temer communicated with the US embassy in Brazil via telegram, and such content would be classified as "sensitive" and "for official use only."
