Panel SA: Restaurants criticize cash meal vouchers, and Paulinho da Força says it’s small talk

The bar and restaurant sector sent a letter to deputies this week criticizing Paulinho da Força’s (Solidariedade-SP) suggestion for the payment of meal and food vouchers in cash, but the deputy, who is the rapporteur of the provisional measure on the subject, countered . For him, the argument that the change would break the establishments is “small talk to try to maintain a monopoly”.

For Paulinho, if the benefit is given in cash, the worker will continue eating in restaurants, as long as the food is good and cheap. Restaurant owners think that the employee will spend the amount on other expenses, which can jeopardize small establishments, more dependent on receipts from vouchers.

“The worker knows best about this situation, not the owner of the restaurant or the owner of the ticket. If, in a collective agreement, a certain union makes an agreement transforming the meal vouchers into cash, I am not the one who will decide”, says.

Also according to the deputy, the report of the provisional measure considered the opinions of all interested parties, “but prioritized, in the end, the interest of the Brazilian worker”.

In the material sent to the deputy through Abrasel (association of bars and restaurants), the sector says that it has not yet been able to recover from the impact of the pandemic and is now suffering the effects of inflation. About 30% of the establishments have monthly losses and 74% of them were unable to pass on the increase in costs to the menu.

Joana Cunha with Paulo Ricardo Martins and Gilmara Santos