For Minister Luiz Marinho, the FGTS birthday withdrawal, a modality that allows the annual redemption of part of the amount deposited in the fund’s accounts, leaves workers “in the street of bitterness” and “creates a trauma”.| Photo: Marcelo Camargo/Agência Brasil.

The Minister of Labor and Employment, Luiz Marinho (PT), again defended this Thursday (19) the end of the anniversary withdrawal of the Severance Guarantee Fund (FGTS). According to him, the modality that allows the annual redemption of part of the amount deposited in FGTS accounts leaves workers “in the street of bitterness” and “creates a trauma”. The statements were made during an interview with the Folha de S.Paulo.

“The anniversary withdrawal deflates, weakens the fund, and creates trauma. Workers call me, send messages, saying: look, put an end to this birthday withdrawal, because I joined this decoy. Whoever is fired cannot withdraw the balance. It leaves the worker on the street of bitterness at the moment when he needs it most. It is optional, but it is wrong”, said Marinho.

According to him, the decision to end the birthday withdrawal is designed to protect the worker, not the bank. Some banking institutions offer loans with the balance of the FGTS birthday withdrawal as collateral. Asked about the thousands of workers who signed up to this type of loan agreement, the minister said it was not his problem.

“It’s the banks’ problem, not my problem. Nobody asked for a loan,” he said. “I’m worried about the workers, not the banks. Evidently, we will need to raise the existing volume (of loans). We are not going to make a measure that creates an eventual trauma in the economy. It is in this sense that I tell the banks not to worry. Now, most likely the banks can find a way to hold the wave”, said Marinho.

At the beginning of the year, Marinho had already declared that the government intended to end the FGTS anniversary withdrawal, however, a day later, he went back and stated that the continuity of the modality would be debated. The declaration generated a rift within the government.