New union contribution will not be mandatory, says Marinho

The Minister of Labor and Employment, Luiz Marinho, defended this Thursday (28) the creation of a non-mandatory union tax. He classified the initiative as a “business contribution”. Marinho stated that the contribution should be linked to the negotiation of collective work agreements and conventions, negotiated between employers’ and workers’ unions.

“The union tax was imposed in a compulsory way, like it or not, crying or not crying, it was deducted. Now, the big difference is that it is a negotiation contribution, because of the negotiations. If there is no negotiation, there is no need to ask for a contribution”, said the minister in an interview to the “Voz do Brasil” program, by Empesa Brasil de Comunicação (EBC).

According to Marinho, the measure would only apply to employers and workers, and would only come into force if approved in assemblies by the respective categories. The minister pointed out that the proposal under discussion has nothing to do with the old union tax, extinguished by the labor reform approved in 2017, during the government of former president Michel Temer, informed the Brazil Agency.

The previous model was in the form of a tax and was collected annually based on a day’s discount for employees with a formal contract. The format of the new contribution provides for a maximum ceiling of up to 1% of the worker’s annual income. “That is the ceiling, but the assembly can decide that it is 0.5%, it is 0.25%, it can decide that it is nothing,” he added.

The minister’s expectation is that a proposal will be presented in about 15 days, to be taken to President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT). “What the government does is establish a tripartite dialogue, with workers and employers, provoke a debate between them, in particular, that they offer the government, to be submitted to President Lula’s appreciation. And, later, make it available to Congress Nacional, who always gives the final word on any public policy”, he said.