A scolding given by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in the Minister of the General Secretariat of the Presidency, Márcio Macêdo, because of the public fiasco at the event on May 1st, in São Paulo, contradicted union leaders present at the demonstration.
“Instead of criticizing Márcio Macêdo and asking for a vote for Guilherme Boulos, which was a serious mistake, Lula should have talked about the best salary agreements, made from January to March, with a real increase”, said the secretary- General of Força Sindical, João Carlos Gonçalves, Juruna.
General Secretary of Força Sindical, Juruna says that “it is not the government’s role to want to frame the union movement”. Photograph: Felipe Iruata/Estadão.
“The only thing I want to make clear is that it was not the minister’s job to call people for May 1st. And it is also not the role of the government to want to frame the union movement”, criticized Juruna.
Lula’s request for support for Boulos, PSOL’s candidate for Mayor of São Paulo, provoked outrage from parties such as MDB and Novo, who sued the Electoral Court. The mayor of São Paulo, Ricardo Nunes (MDB), is running for re-election.
In the federal government, however, Nunes’ party is part of Lula’s allied base and commands three ministries (Transport, Cities and Planning). Vice-president Geraldo Alckmin’s PSB launched Tabata Amaral’s candidacy to succeed Nunes. Alckmin was on the stage at 1.º de Maio, alongside Lula.
