According to Labour Unions General Strike Was just the Beginning

05/02/2017 - 12h14

Labour Unions sent out a message on Labour Day, May 1st. That message is that the general strike last Friday (the 28th) against the reforms that Michel Temer is proposing was "just the beginning".

At the Força Sindical event, in the northern part of São Paulo, congressman Paulo Pereira da Silva (SD-SP) who also presides over the union, said that "they'll be asking for more if they didn't get the message", referring to the possibility of another demonstration against the labor law and pension reforms.

Unions said the strike was a success and pointed to adherence by millions of workers in key sectors like automakers, petroleum, schools and even banking. Strikes hit all 26 states and the Federal District.

	Keiny Andrade/Folhapress
	General Strike in São Paulo

The possibility of yet another strike also came up at the CUT event on Paulista Avenue - another event by the same organization also took place at the Praça da República, in downtown São Paulo. Vagner Freitas, who presides over the union, called for a march to Brasília at the same time congress will vote on the pension reform.

The CSB (Brazilian Union Center) event, which took place in Anhembi (in the northern part of São Paulo), called for those who had attended to remain mobilized.

The UGT (General Workers' Union) did not organize any events for Monday, but endorsed calls for the population to occupy Brasília and pressure congress against the reforms.
Labour unions will decide on these matters later in the week.

On top of demands for Temer to step down, chants against the current mayor of São Paulo, João Doria, who called strikers "lazy", could also be heard at the events organized by the unions. Doria responded to criticism by stating that he's against "those who harass workers and keep them from working".

Translated by THOMAS MATHEWSON

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