Interim government denies “assault” on social rights if impeachment is sealed

Brazil's interim government issued a note on Monday evening (Aug. 29) rebutting allegations made by Brazil's suspended President Dilma Rousseff that the interim government would cancel social and labor rights and raise the minimum retirement age, among other moves, should it be confirmed to serve out the end of Rousseff's term of office.

The note was also a reply to Workers' Party Senator Paulo Paim's harsh speech saying Rousseff's impeachment would pave the way for an “assault” on social rights and the “revocation” of labor rights.

Speaking at Rousseff's impeachment trial, Paim used his time to ask her questions accusing the interim government. “What do they want? It's very clear what they want—the interim government's 'Bridge to the Future' is out there threatening social and labor rights, pushing to revoke the Consolidation of Labor Laws,” he said referring to a document with political proposals for Brazil published by the PMDB, the party chaired by Vice-President Michel Temer before took the reins as acting president.

According to Paim, if Rousseff is permanently removed, Temer's administration will also “regulate slavery, untie funds [compulsorily earmarked] for health and education [expenditure], privatize everything, even the pre-salt [oil reserves]. They have dismantled the Ministry of Social Security. They want people to be able to retire only after they are 70 or 75 years old.”

The suspended president also accused the government of interim president Michel Temer to adopt an “ultra-liberal program” for the economy and “an ultra-conservative program that takes away personal and collective rights and adopts an extremely backward-looking agenda.”

“Who should bear the burden, that is, who should provide the resources for the country to overcome the crisis? Some believe it's just the working class, the poorer classes, the middle class, the self-employed, and small businesses. This is just not possible,” said Rousseff.

“Not true”

The interim government's statement, which was released by the Office of Presidential Communications, strongly dismissed every point in the allegations.

“It is not true that proposals to increase the age of retirement to 70 or 75 years are being considered; illness benefits will not be revoked; slavery will not be regulated; there is no pre-salt [oil reserves] privatization; and revoking the Consolidation of Labor Laws is not being discussed. These and other misleading allegations have been frivolously and recklessly made about the interim government,” an excerpt of the statement read.

“All proposals brought forward by Michel Temer's administration aim to ensure job creation, make the pension system viable, and restore balance in government finance. And they all respect constitutional rights,” the note concluded.

Translated by Mayra Borges