Parque Madureira Mestre Monarco, an immense open area located in the suburbs of Rio de Janeiro, usually receives visitors looking for leisure on the weekends. On this May 1st holiday, Labor Day, the space hosted activities and mobilizations promoted by trade unions.
The public had the opportunity to participate in workshops, register for 4,500 vacancies in professional courses, receive guidance aimed at small entrepreneurs, retirement simulations, in addition to applying for job opportunities. There were around 10 thousand jobs offered for various occupations.
The Workers’ Festival is held in partnership with the Municipal Department of Labor and Income, and is attended by the Central Única dos Trabalhadores (CUT), Força Sindical, União Geral dos Trabalhadores (UGT) and Central dos Trabalhadores and Trabalhadoras do Brasil (Central dos Trabalhadores e Trabalhadoras do Brasil) ( CTB).
Opportunity
Karine Lorraine, 21, was looking for her first job. She says that gathering vacancies at a single point of service makes the search easier.
“It makes it a lot easier because there are several opportunities here that you can apply for. Outside of here, there are many companies where you go, hand in your CV, and they throw it away”, he says.
Igor de Souza, from Queimados, a municipality in the metropolitan region of Rio, saw the opportunity to enroll in a three-dimensional (3D) printing qualification course.
“We need to take the course. If you don’t have anything, it’s difficult to get something,” she says.
Several shows are scheduled for the day, including those from the pagode groups Fundo de Quintal, Clareou. At night, the performance of the drums of the Império Serrano samba school, neighboring Parque Madureira, closes the Festival do Trabalhador.
Mobilization
The president of the CTB in Rio de Janeiro, Paulo Farias, explains that in addition to being a day of celebration, May 1st is also a day for collections.
“It is a date for us to reaffirm our flags, such as reducing working hours. There are studies confirming that it is possible to establish a four-day work week, without reducing salary, and with increased productivity”, he mentions.
Farias adds among the demands is the end of work similar to child slavery and more bargaining power for unions.
The president of the CTB told Brazil Agency which recognizes efforts by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s government to increase the minimum wage, but defends a national wage floor, “that truly meets the needs of the working class”. Currently the value is R$1,412.
“We know that this value is far below the real needs for food, clothing, leisure, care, housing and everything necessary for the social well-being of families”, he assesses.
The government proposed a minimum wage of R$1,502 in 2025.
The president of the Rio de Janeiro Bank Workers’ Union and member of the CUT board, José Ferreira Pinto, highlighted the importance of uniting unions.
“The unity of trade unions has the power to bring workers together and unify our struggles. It’s a time to be on the streets, talking to workers”, she points out.
“Workers build all of the country’s wealth and, therefore, deserve better days”, he adds.
Job market
The celebration of Labor Day takes place in a scenario of advances and challenges imposed on the working class.
This Friday (30), the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE) announced that the unemployment rate in the country reached 7.9% in the first quarter of 2014, the lowest for the period since 2014.
The average worker’s income reached R$3,123, an increase of 4% compared to the first quarter of 2023, which contributed to the mass of income, the amount that employed workers receive to move the economy, reaching R$308.3 billion , a record in the IBGE historical series in 2012.
According to the General Register of Employed and Unemployed Persons, from the Ministry of Labor and Employment, Brazil created 719,033 formal jobs in the first quarter, an increase of 34% compared to the first three months of last year.
Challenges
On the other hand, the National Household Sample Survey (Pnad), by IBGE, reveals that the economy has an informality rate of almost 39% of the employed population, which represents 38.9 million informal workers, that is, without guaranteed rights such as vacation, guarantee fund and unemployment insurance.
Another challenge is the regulation of “new age” professionals, such as drivers and app delivery people.
In the case of drivers, there is a project being processed in the Chamber of Deputies. The proposal is being processed by the Industry and Commerce Committee and should be forwarded to a plenary vote on June 12th.
The president of the Metalworkers Union of Rio de Janeiro, Melquizedeque Cordeiro Flor, adds another element that could impact the future of workers, artificial intelligence (AI).
“In times of AI, the most powerful intelligence is that of workers. We have to make this count, because AI, if it is not used well, is putting people out of work. If there is technological transformation, the worker must also be qualified to occupy these jobs”, he states.
