By Sabrina Fernandes
Many labour unions are either in the process of negotiating with their respective employers (mostly municipal, state, or federal governments) in Brazil, while others are actively on strike. These include federal workers from the government bureaucracy, school teachers, city staff, and university staff and faculty. In this piece, I would like to highlight how unions in the transportation sector are highly represented in these labour struggles.
The Metro Workers Union of São Paulo is one of them and as of Monday,
the 9th of June, it faces its fifth day of strike amidst layoff threats
and a repressive state military police. Shortly before, the bus drivers
of the city of São Paulo, represented by two unions, were also on
strike. In both cases, the judiciary found the strikes to be ‘abusive’
and fined the unions hundreds of thousands of reais after ordering the
workers back to their posts. The Metro Workers decided to continue the
strike, with the support of a variety of social movements (including the
Free Fare Movement – MPL, and the Homeless Workers’ Movement – MTST),
political parties from the radical Left, and other labour unions. The
judicial decision is being challenged for many reasons, but primarily
for the fact that it is fuelled by illegalities committed on behalf of
the employer that lead to the disavowal of the right to strike.[1]
A unified act in support of the metro workers was announced after the
assembly for early Monday in the metro station Ana Rosa. The act was
immediately interrupted by the arrival of the riot police squad. They
advanced on the picketing metro workers, arresting some of them, and
attempted to disperse the protesters who stood in solidarity with pepper
spray, tear gas bombs, and raised weapons. Although some protesters
attempted to kick the bombs back at the squad, the damage was done and
even bystanders on their way to work were affected. A militant from the
student movement and the PSTU was arrested, beaten, and humiliated by
the police during an act of solidarity.[2] After recovering from the
tear gas, the protesters assembled again at the metro station and, from
there, they walked toward Praça da Sé in São Paulo, where they were
joined by more social movements and political party representatives
before marching again.