Lula’s campaign raises alert for buying pro-Bolsonaro votes in companies

The campaign of former President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) raised the alarm for complaints of coercion against employees and for suspicions of buying votes in favor of President Jair Bolsonaro (PL) in companies.

The increase in reports after the first round led the PT group to look for the president of the TSE (Superior Electoral Court), Minister Alexandre de Moraes, and to promote actions on social networks to encourage complaints.

The assessment is that the cases, in addition to having exploded in the last week, are not restricted to large companies.

“It’s a bakery neo-coronelismo”, says senator Jean Paul Prates (PT-RN). “This is spreading at the micro and small business level. It is a risk to the freedom of the vote, it hurts democracy.”

One of the main concerns is with episodes involving employees of small businesses and even employees with no formal employment relationship, such as manicurists and day laborers.

Another fear of Lula’s campaign is with people who are forced to work all day on the date of the second round and, consequently, cannot vote.

PT members who participated in the meeting with Moraes on Thursday (6th) claim that the minister assured that the Electoral Justice is attentive to the complaints, and that the cases will be investigated and punished.

“We are very concerned about what is happening on a large scale. This is characterized as an electoral crime, but also a crime against labor law. In our conversation with the president of the TSE, he made it very clear that they are following these issues very closely. “, says Senator Humberto Costa (PT-PE).

“It is visible the number of complaints that have been made, situations that we become aware of through social networks. And the very contact we have with members of the Public Ministry of Labor [MPT] makes it clear that this type of harassment has increased.”

In audio circulating on WhatsApp, a man suggests to a person named Everton that businessmen unite to buy the vote of PT voters, increasing the group’s abstention.

“[Se] you know the guy votes for the PT, [o patrão] purchase, collect the title, collect the documents. The election passed, he [trabalhador] go there, get the money and get the title. the only way i’m seeing [de derrotar Lula] is to do it. To make a movement of this type nationally”, says the audio.

“The guy will hand over all the documents: title, CPF, RG, driver’s license, whatever. [Se] hand in all the documents with a photo, the guy doesn’t vote. To have an abstinence [sic] PT’s vote in the second round. It’s the only way I’m seeing to get Bolsonaro elected.”

The MPT states that the whistleblower system only divides the type of harassment between moral and sexual, and that, therefore, it has had difficulties to monitor the total number of records in real time. The agency confirms, however, that the number of complaints rose significantly after the first round.

The increase caused the institution to release a technical note on Friday (7) to guide labor prosecutors. The document was prepared by the Coordination for the Promotion of Equal Opportunities.

The text recommends that reported companies be prohibited from threatening or embarrassing the employee, in addition to promising money or any other advantage to gain his support in favor of a candidate.

The MPT also asks that employers do not promote political demonstrations in the workplace or make reference to candidates in uniforms or other work instruments.

Finally, the coordinator says that businessmen must commit themselves not to prevent employees from voting. Furthermore, they cannot demand that they replace the hours worked due to “absence resulting from participation in the electoral process”.

Faced with the increase in cases, the CUT (Central Única dos Trabalhadores) created a space on the website to receive complaints from workers, including anonymously. Complaints will be registered by the central in the application Pardal MPT – Complaints.

Força Sindical intends to take the problem to the ILO (International Labor Organization). The group filed representations with the TSE and the MPT against two companies in Rio Grande do Sul that sent communications to suppliers informing them that they would cut their business in the event of Lula’s victory.

On Friday, the MPT signed an agreement with the owner of Cerâmica Modelo, in São Miguel do Guamá (PA), which promised R$200 for each employee if Bolsonaro won the elections. The case went viral on social media.

The man must pay compensation of BRL 2,000 to each of the employees, sign the work card of those who are not registered, provide PPE (personal protective equipment) and pay BRL 150,000 for collective moral damage.

The businessman was also indicted by the PF (Federal Police) for conduct related to electoral crimes, and forced to record a new video apologizing to employees.

“There was an error and I want to tell you the following: I’m here retracting myself. If you stop working for me today and go to work for another entrepreneur, if the entrepreneur does what I did, report it”, he says.

The Electoral Public Ministry stated, in a note, that any representations about electoral harassment can be made throughout the country, both in the Federal Public Ministry and in the units of the State Public Ministry.

The agency pointed out that businessmen can be prosecuted for crimes such as electoral coercion or electoral corruption (buying votes).

“In relation to the candidate who is the beneficiary of the conduct, an electoral judicial investigation action may be filed, the filing of which is possible not only by the Public Prosecutor’s Office, but also by opposing coalitions, parties or candidates.”

COMPLAINTS CAN BE MADE TO MPT AND UNIONS

The Ombudsman of the Public Ministry of Labor is currently concentrating the complaints of electoral harassment. The agency cannot say how many complaints were registered, as the system does not segment what type of harassment the worker is denouncing, it only says whether it is moral or sexual.

WHERE TO REPORT: