President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva asked the Council for Sustainable Economic and Social Development (CDESS, better known as the Council) to discuss ways to make it possible to reduce working hours in the country. In a meeting this Thursday (4), he defended the end of the 6 for 1 day, which provides for six days of work and one day of rest. 
The president said he regrets the fact that technologies are significantly increasing production, but that this is not translating into improved quality of work for company employees.
He recalled that, in his days as a union member, Volkswagen had 40 thousand workers and produced 1.2 thousand cars. “Today it has 12 thousand workers and produces twice as many cars,” said the president, at the meeting held at the Itamaraty Palace, in Brasília.
“Why didn’t the working day be reduced? What were all these technological advances for? What does it mean to reduce this working day, from 44 hours a week to 40? What harm does this have for the world? None”, he argued, remembering that several countries have already adopted a reduction in working hours.
The Proposed Amendment to the Constitution (PEC) that ends the six-day work schedule for one day off is under analysis in the National Congress.
Amid the proposals being submitted by the Council, Lula suggested that, in the next meetings, the group should study “with great care” the possibility of ending the 6 for 1 journey.
“It no longer makes sense, with the technological advances we have had in this country, for production to increase, but wages to fall. If you give me advice to reduce the working day, I will hasten the end of the working day 6 for 1, so that we can provide a shorter working day for the Brazilian people.”
The Council is an advisory body to the President of the Republic, responsible for preparing studies and recommendations on public policies on various topics. The group is made up of businesspeople, trade unionists, researchers, artists and representatives of social movements.
Violence against women
Lula also suggested that the Council propose more efficient ways to combat the crimes of feminicide and pedophilia in future meetings.
“We need a more forceful proposal, so that people who kill women or practice pedophilia are not treated normally. Something tougher is needed for these people who commit this type of crime”, he said.
The president cited the case that occurred in São Paulo, in which a woman had her legs mutilated after being run over and dragged by a man.
Plenary Meeting of the Council for Sustainable Economic and Social Development, at Palácio Itamaraty. Photo: Marcelo Camargo/Agência Brasil
Economy
The president took advantage of the meeting to reiterate positions regarding public spending and investments.
“I wonder why everything the government does to improve health, education or the environment is [considerado] spent? Why can’t it be seen in this country that investment, including in people, is investment?”, asked the president.
According to him, there are many people who live on lies in Brazil. “There are people who earn by speculating. January starts and people keep saying there will be a fiscal deficit”, he said. “The one who complains about the fiscal deficit is Faria Lima, who only cares about earning more and receiving hers,” he added.
“Do you think these people are worried about the outskirts of this country or about people who can’t eat three times a day? Do you think these people are worried about indigenous people in need? When we demarcate land, it’s as if we were taking over the country,” said Lula.
“They complain that the indigenous people have 14% of the Brazilian territory. They had 100%. We were the ones who stole 86% from them. This is giving back what was theirs. That’s what we are doing”, he added.
According to the president, it is not possible for the world’s eighth largest economy to have its actions limited due to rhetoric about spending caps. “Do you think the United States and Germany are thinking about spending caps? Right now they approved 800 billion euros to buy weapons. Wouldn’t it be better to have approved this to end world hunger? There is an inversion of values”, he concluded.
The demands on the tax issue were also commented on by the Minister of Finance, Fernando Haddad.
“This is a recurring theme,” said the minister, emphasizing that the fiscal deficit of President Lula’s current term will be 70% lower than that of the previous government and 60% lower than the government that preceded him.
“We are providing total transparency to public accounts. We are once again respecting international standards. That is why we are, today, the second destination for foreign investment in the world.”
Haddad recalled that inflation recorded in the four years of the current Lula government will be the lowest in the country’s entire history.
“Inflation, which is a legitimate concern for every citizen, in four years, will be the lowest in all of history. It will be lower than that of the Empire; the Republic; the Old Republic; the Estado Novo; the Real Plan. It will be the lowest of all”, he said.
“When you manage to reconcile a drop in inflation with a drop in unemployment, you have a lower level of discomfort in a society. We are managing to reconcile the best of both worlds: lower unemployment with lower inflation”, he added.
Environmental licensing
Lula also commented on the National Congress’ rejection of 52 presidential vetoes to the PL that eliminates or relaxes rules for environmental licensing. According to the president, changes in Brazilian legislation will create problems even for Brazilian agribusiness with other countries.
In the president’s opinion, if the agricultural bench had listened to the economic team’s arguments, Congress would not have overturned the presidential veto.
“We vetoed this project to protect agribusiness, because these same people who overturned my vetoes, when China or Europe stop buying our meat or our cotton, will come talk to me again and ask me to talk to the presidents of China or the European Union [para reverter a situação]said the president.
“They know they are wrong. They know that we want our production to be increasingly larger. But also increasingly sustainable and clean”, he added.
Congress
Regarding the relationship between the Executive and the Legislative, Lula said he does not believe that any divergences actually represent problems. “We have no problem with the National Congress,” he said, reiterating that some disagreements are part of the democratic game
“I, honestly, do not agree with the imposing amendments. I think that the fact that the National Congress sequestered 50% of the Union’s budget is a serious historical error. But this will only end after changing the people who approved it”, he argued.
