A gas station company in Jaraguá do Sul, Santa Catarina, was authorized by the Federal Court to offer self-service to customers, which eliminates the work of gas station attendants.
The modality is prohibited in Brazil, but works in other countries, such as the United States.
In the lawsuit against the Union, the company stated that it has difficulty hiring gas station attendants in the region and argued that the charging of electric vehicles is already done through the self-service system.
Judge Joseano Maciel Cordeiro, from the 1st Federal Court of the municipality, understood that the 2000 law, which prohibits the service, is incompatible with other legislation, such as economic freedom and technological innovation.
The Union justifies that handling fuels requires practice and training, in addition to knowledge of safety standards. He also cites the preservation of the jobs of gas station attendants.
In Cordeiro’s assessment, however, the eventual permission for the use of self-service pumps does not exempt the stations from being subject to inspection by the competent bodies and does not remove the civil liability of companies.
He also cites recent technical notes from the Ministry of Mines and Energy, which do not classify the activity as high risk.
Appeals can be made to the Federal Regional Court of the 4th Region, in Porto Alegre.
Joana Cunha with Andressa Motter and Paulo Ricardo Martins
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