After Confusion, Brazilian Senate Passes Temer's Labor Reform

07/12/2017 - 10h10

With 50 votes in favor and 26 against, the Brazilian Senate approved on Tuesday evening (11) the basic text of the labor reform, a proposal of the government that changes the Consolidation of Labor Laws (CLT, in its Portuguese acronym) in more than a hundred points.

The vote occurred after the session, which began late in the morning, was interrupted for more than seven hours by a group of opposition senators who took over the president´s rostrum to plead for changes in the text.

Without access to his place, the president of the Senate, Eunício Oliveira (PMDB-CE), turned off the lights. The senators remained at the rostrum, where they even ate takeaway food.

"It's the demoralization of the Senate," said Eunício.

The senators left the rostrum after evaluating that the "political gesture" took effect, said Fátima Bezerra (PT-RN).

The proposals for amendments to the text were rejected by the senators, as President Temer's allies wanted. If the Senate had made changes, the text would have to be returned to the Lower House again.

With the result, the text follows to be sanctioned by the president.

The labor reform is one of the priorities of the year for the president, who faces a serious political crisis. It is defended by businessmen and contested by left-wing parties and trade unions.

The changes include the prevalence, in some cases, of agreements between employers and employees on the law, the end of compulsory union membership and the payment of vacations in installments, among other things.

Translated by MARINA DELLA VALLE

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	Pedro Ladeira/Folhapress
	The session was interrupted for more than seven hours by a group of opposition senators