Panel SA: To think that Lula will revoke labor reform at the stroke of a pen is illusion, says trade unionist

Even with the Bolsonaristas’ plans to demonstrate on Avenida Paulista on May 1, the secretary general of Força Sindical, João Carlos Gonçalves, aka Juruna, says he does not expect confrontation with the participants of the act of the union centrals, which will have the presence of Lula in Charles Miller square.

For him, the historic character of the event removes the fear of confusion this Sunday. Juruna also sees the atmosphere pacified in the recent disagreement between the centrals over the joint document with the workers’ proposals to the presidential candidates, which had an individual version of the CUT.

“This has already been overcome. Lula has already come to the event. He pulled their ears, asked for a unitary document. We are working so that the campaign goes well”, he says.

The unionist believes that the controversy surrounding the proposal to revoke or revise the labor reform is an illusory discussion. “I don’t believe that Lula will revoke it with one stroke of the pen. That, for me, is selling illusion. Everything that is done to change labor legislation will have to be negotiated again with businessmen, workers and parliament.”

How is the preparation for the 1st of May? Is there fear of confrontation with bolsonaristas this year?

Not. The event is not confrontational. It is yet another historic act, and our demands will be raised by the leaders who will speak. We are inviting institutional, political-party representations of different hues. The invitation was broad. Some confirmed it, others didn’t, but we try to make it as broad as possible.

And the absence of Geraldo Alckmin? How was it received by you? Was his approach important? 

Nobody confirmed that he was going or that he wasn’t. It would be interesting for him to be there, but he hasn’t confirmed it. We from the General Secretariat of the Force made a list of all the guests and contacts are being made.

And the decision of the CSB (Central dos Unions Brasileiros), which decided not to participate in the unified act with the other unions on the 1st of May?

They said that there is a search for protagonism among the centrals, that solidarity is lacking. What does that mean? We are ten centers. When something like this is organized, there are thousands of union leaders who want to speak. There is, sometimes, an elbow here and there, but nothing that could harm the 1st of May.

I have the opinion that the fact that they do it separately does not harm. Their event, for sure, will touch on flags that they helped to build and that were the agenda of Conclat [Conferência Nacional da Classe Trabalhadora]. I don’t see any antagonism in the fact that he does it in Itatiba. Perhaps because of the PDT candidacy he thought it best to do it separately.

And what about the discomfort of the CUT with the other centrals about the joint agenda of demands?

This has already been overcome. Lula already came to the event. He pulled their ear there, asked for a unitary document. We are working to make the campaign go well.

And the recent movements of federal deputy Paulinho da Força (Solidariedade-SP), who was booed at an event with Lula and met with Aécio Neves (PSBD-MG)? How do you rate?

I think it’s very important that Paulinho is in the campaign [de Lula]. On the 3rd, Solidarity will manifest itself in favor of this coalition.

are details [o episódio das vaias]. Paulinho made lemonade out of lemons. He showed that he wants to support Lula and, more than that, he wants to expand the range of alliances with Lula. That’s why, on the 3rd, he invited several personalities from the MDB, from other centrist parties, who would be interesting to be together with Lula.

Recently, the plants were received at Fiesp by the new management of Josué Gomes da Silva. Is dialogue better than under Paulo Skaf’s administration?

It looks like it got better with Joshua. First, because he was always a good conversationalist. Second, the trade union centrals understand that strengthening collective bargaining is fundamental for the relationship between capital and labor.

This approach that we make with Fiesp is in the sense of valuing collective bargaining, collective agreements per company. And for that you need to have a strong union.

From our side, financially, it is important to have support from workers so that negotiations are strong, with funding. And on the business side too, which was also harmed by the change in the law.

We don’t want the state to decide for us. We want to strengthen collective bargaining. For that, you need to have a strong union, with workers’ funding.

And what is your opinion on the PT’s signals in relation to labor reform?

People keep talking about revising or revoking. Since this debate began, it began with the expression of the Spanish agreement, which was not revoked. It was a negotiation in Parliament, in which businessmen and workers’ representatives participated. Here it will be the same.

I don’t believe that Lula will revoke it in a stroke of a pen. That, to me, is selling illusion. Everything that is done to change the labor legislation, which has been approved and harms us, will have to be negotiated again with businessmen, workers and the parliament.

There is no such thing as promising that you will, in a stroke of the pen, revoke. This is deception. I believe that, yes, there will be negotiation between the parties: workers, businessmen, the state and parliament, which will vote on the proposal that, by chance, an agreement is reached.

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General Secretary of Força Sindical and 2nd Vice-President of the Metalworkers Union of São Paulo and Mogi das Cruzes, he worked as an oil tanker in the 1970s and was elected to Cipas in the following years. Among other positions, he was president of Dieese and studied sociology at the Escola de Sociologia e Política de São Paulo.