Government to appeal Supreme Court justice’s labor ruling

The federal government is reportedly set to appeal Supreme Court Justice Ricardo Lewandowski’s decision to require trade union approval for individual settlements between employees and companies over reducing working hours (and wages) or suspending job contracts during the Covid-19 crisis.

One of the options would be asking for an injunction from Chief Justice Dias Toffoli, who reportedly approved the idea of greenlighting these negotiations temporarily before the government published its provisional decree. However, should the Chief Justice contradict one of his colleagues, he would create additional trouble in an already divided court. 

As we explained in our April 7 Daily Briefing, the decision of including trade unions in the process may slow down negotiations severely and creates more judicial insecurity in an already doubt-filled moment. 

• Go deeper: Brazil’s labor reform is being overhauled by the courts

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