Change is gonna come
Posted by By Mark Hillary at 24 May, at 13 : 06 PM Print
As IT Decisions recently reported, the Brazilian government has proposed a new outsourcing commission charged with creating new laws to simplify how outsourcing can work in Brazil.
And this does not apply to the hi-tech sector alone, it applies to any industry within Brazil. The outsourcing commission is trying to introduce new rules that acknowledge how much employment has changed in Brazil – and across the world – in the past few couple of decades.
IT Decisions noted that it is important for the Brazilian government to do something about labor law here. The present consolidation of labor laws, which serves as the general code for how employees and employers interact, dates from 1943.
A lot more than just outsourcing has happened in the past seventy years so this is an uphill struggle for any administration – to acknowledge the change in how service companies operate is just the beginning.
But the recent coverage of the outsourcing commission on IT Decisions has sparked off an intense debate on the social networks LinkedIn and Twitter. Most comments are dismissive of the government efforts, and given the low regard in which most politicians are held this is understandable.
So, to get a reaction direct from the technology industry, IT Decisions interviewed the owner of a software company based in São Paulo. Though the business owner wanted to remain anonymous, the reaction to our questions is still of interest:
ITD: The government has proposed a commission so the laws on contracting can be clarified. Do you believe this will resolve the present issues?
“The present body of employment law is huge and this commission remains in just the initial stage. Most politicians don’t work on Mondays or Fridays or entire weeks where there is a holiday scheduled, and they have two long vacations each year. So how long do you think it will take to really change anything?”
ITD: Why would it be in the interest of the government to maintain the status quo? Surely they know change is needed?
“The government would need to have some kind of referendum with the general population if they were going to restructure the entire employment law. The law can’t just be reformed without the public wanting it to happen.
But in the present system, there are many benefits for the working class that might not survive a complete reform. For example the ‘fundo de garantia’, which is a kind of savings fund the employer pays into to provide compensation if they have to lay off that worker.
So employers at present can predict how much they would need to pay to lay off workers because the redundancy figures are defined and quite generous to the employee.
Tax on salaries is also quite high, so there are many areas that need discussion and change and not all these changes would be popular with workers – the people voting for the politicians – even if the employers would like to see reform.”
ITD: If politicians are preventing change then what can address this? Does it require greater transparency of information about parliamentary activity, expenses, and connections?
“This is very complex to answer in just a few lines, but let’s look an example of political behavior. As soon as the federal congressmen came back to work after the vacation season this year, they spent time voting on a salary increase for themselves. This salary increase, which is in the region of about 65%, takes their income to over $12,000 per month.
They don’t pay travel expenses for themselves or their family, even when they are not on official business. They don’t have any costs for official residences in Brasilia. They get a nice car, a driver and free food. And they don’t just get a monthly salary, they get about 15 monthly payments in a year.
And they lie, they lie all the time to us.”
IT Decisions says
First, this is the single opinion of one Brazilian executive. But based on many of the comments seen on the social networks, it appears to be a popular view – the system is too big to change, the politicians are too slow to react to the real world, and the working class actually prefers the system as it is, so reform is impossible.
IT Decisions would like to hear from more readers. Please add your voice to the debate. Is there anyone ready to defend the government and their plans to try updating labor legislation? Does anyone think that it is possible to incorporate rules for outsourcing as a first step towards a more general reform?
IT Decisions would also like to remind our readers that sometimes the impossible does happen. American presidents can be impeached. British government ministers go to jail for expenses fraud. Italian leaders end up in court on sex charges, and an entire swathe of humanity can suddenly start to demand transparency and respect from their leaders.
It may seem like Brazilian politicians are lazy and corrupt, and when they do fall foul of the law, the judges and media barons are close friends – so nothing is reported and cases are quietly dropped.
This is the popular view, and perhaps it is based largely on fact, but the real enemy for the educated Brazilian middle class is not corrupt leaders, it is cynicism and the subsequent withdrawal of interest in changing how the system works.
The ordinary people on the streets of Cairo last February were not sitting in restaurants debating how Antonio Banderas makes paella. They were ordinary citizens who started demanding transparency and fairness in how their government governs.
It won’t be easy to bring employment legislation in Brazil into the twenty-first century, but to assume it is impossible before ever challenging the government to a transparent approach only guarantees that nothing will ever change.
Photo by Hugovk licensed under Creative Commons
Related Posts
-
14 May at 18 : 49 PM 0
ITD Research: Social media and the CIO
-
8 May at 15 : 44 PM 0
We Are Chained to Work 24/7 by Social Media
-
18 April at 14 : 52 PM 0
London 2012: One Hundred Days To Go
-
9 April at 15 : 45 PM 0
Are women equal to men in all tech companies?
IT Decisions, 12 months ago
Change is gonna come… is it impossible to change employment law in Brazil? http://bit.ly/m44Hb0
Mark Hillary, 12 months ago
Change is gonna come… is it impossible to change employment law in Brazil? http://bit.ly/m44Hb0
Mark Hillary, 12 months ago
Some people go out and change the world, and laws… some stay in and watching cooking shows with Antonio Banderas http://bit.ly/m44Hb0
IT Decisions, 12 months ago
Some people go out and change the world, and laws… some stay in to watch cooking shows with Antonio Banderas http://bit.ly/m44Hb0
Mark Hillary, 12 months ago
Some people go out and change the world, and laws… some stay in to watch cooking shows with Antonio Banderas http://bit.ly/m44Hb0
IT Decisions, 12 months ago
Gestor de negócios desabafa sobre corrupção no governo brasileiro – mas mudanças enormes estão por vir http://bit.ly/m44Hb0
Angelica Mari, 12 months ago
Gestor de negócios desabafa sobre corrupção no governo brasileiro – mas mudanças enormes estão por vir http://bit.ly/m44Hb0
Jaime Muniz, 12 months ago
RT @angelicamari: Gestor de negócios desabafa sobre corrupção no governo brasileiro- mas mudanças enormes estão por vir http://bit.ly/m44Hb0
Mark Hillary, 12 months ago
Gestor de negócios desabafa sobre corrupção no governo brasileiro – mas mudanças enormes estão por vir http://bit.ly/m44Hb0
IT Decisions, 12 months ago
Gestor de negócios desabafa sobre corrupção no governo brasileiro – mas mudanças enormes estão por vir http://bit.ly/m44Hb0
René Schaap, 12 months ago
Change is gonna come… is it impossible to change employment law in Brazil? http://bit.ly/m44Hb0
René Schaap, 12 months ago
Some people go out and change the world, and laws… some stay in to watch cooking shows with Antonio Banderas http://bit.ly/m44Hb0
René Schaap, 12 months ago
Gestor de negócios desabafa sobre corrupção no governo brasileiro – mas mudanças enormes estão por vir http://bit.ly/m44Hb0
ConnectingMedia BRA, 12 months ago
Change is gonna come… is it impossible to change employment law in Brazil? http://bit.ly/m44Hb0
ConnectingMedia BRA, 12 months ago
Some people go out and change the world, and laws… some stay in to watch cooking shows with Antonio Banderas http://bit.ly/m44Hb0
ConnectingMedia BRA, 12 months ago
Gestor de negócios desabafa sobre corrupção no governo brasileiro – mas mudanças enormes estão por vir http://bit.ly/m44Hb0
Abhinandan Jain, 11 months ago
Change is gonna come http://zite.to/iK8NEY via @Ziteapp
Felipe Albertao, 11 months ago
Why “outsourcing reform” should include changes in the labor law? It seems that the argument is, by removing employee’s rights, labor would be cheaper and Brazil would be more competitive as a result. But, the question is: To compete with India or China, are we ready (as a society) to accept the sacrifices the Indian and Chinese people are accepting to be competitive?
A real “outsourcing reform” should increase investments in education and therefore raise the competition level based on quality, and not on labor price.
Mark Hillary, 11 months ago
@pedro_alem is it possible to talk to you about these issues please? Inglês ou Português… http://bit.ly/m44Hb0 for @itdecs
Mark Hillary, 11 months ago
@pedro_alem is it possible to talk to you about these issues please? Inglês ou Português… http://bit.ly/m44Hb0 for @itdecs
IT Decisions, 11 months ago
Você vai ficar sentado aí vendo a Ana Maria Braga cozinhar paella ou vai ajudar o Brasil a entrar no século 21? http://bit.ly/m44Hb0
IT Decisions, 11 months ago
Você vai ficar sentado aí vendo a Ana Maria Braga cozinhar paella ou vai ajudar o Brasil a entrar no século 21? http://bit.ly/m44Hb0
Sutherland Global, 11 months ago
Você vai ficar sentado aí vendo a Ana Maria Braga cozinhar paella ou vai ajudar o Brasil a entrar no século 21? http://bit.ly/m44Hb0
Sutherland Global, 11 months ago
Você vai ficar sentado aí vendo a Ana Maria Braga cozinhar paella ou vai ajudar o Brasil a entrar no século 21? http://bit.ly/m44Hb0
NIIT Technologies, 11 months ago
Você vai ficar sentado aí vendo a Ana Maria Braga cozinhar paella ou vai ajudar o Brasil a entrar no século 21? http://bit.ly/m44Hb0
NIIT Technologies, 11 months ago
Você vai ficar sentado aí vendo a Ana Maria Braga cozinhar paella ou vai ajudar o Brasil a entrar no século 21? http://bit.ly/m44Hb0
Steria Exchange, 11 months ago
Você vai ficar sentado aí vendo a Ana Maria Braga cozinhar paella ou vai ajudar o Brasil a entrar no século 21? http://bit.ly/m44Hb0
IT Decisions, 11 months ago
Hey Brazilians…! You going to watch TV forever or get out and change some laws? http://bit.ly/m44Hb0
IT Decisions, 11 months ago
Hey Brazilians…! You going to watch TV forever or get out and change some laws? http://bit.ly/m44Hb0
Mark Hillary, 11 months ago
Hey Brazilians…! You going to watch TV forever or get out and change some laws? http://bit.ly/m44Hb0
Mark Hillary, 11 months ago
Hey Brazilians…! You going to watch TV forever or get out and change some laws? http://bit.ly/m44Hb0
José Marcio Godoy da, 11 months ago
Você vai ficar sentado aí vendo a Ana Maria Braga cozinhar paella ou vai ajudar o Brasil a entrar no século 21? http://bit.ly/m44Hb0
EllenLeith, 11 months ago
Change is gonna come http://lnkd.in/RuKbdD
IT Decisions, 11 months ago
Planning to write a lot more about this http://bit.ly/m44Hb0 during the week – any views on employment in Brazil?
Mark Hillary, 11 months ago
Planning to write a lot more about this http://bit.ly/m44Hb0 during the week – any views on employment in Brazil?
Brazil politicians: IT success is critical | IT Decisions, 11 months ago
[...] of the BCS for 2010-2011. I contacted her to ask about the questions that have arisen from the proposed outsourcing commission in [...]
Skilled foreigners struggle to get Brazilian visas | IT Decisions, 10 months ago
[...] Brazil needs these skills in the short-term. Ancient labor laws, combined with arcane immigration policies, not only discourage foreign labor that could help bring [...]
Education in Brazil – it no longer works | IT Decisions, 7 months ago
[...] there appears to be little or no progress on moving beyond the announcement of a commission. Where are the proposals for improving the relationship between contractors, contracting companies, a… We have yet to see anything and we even offered our time and expertise to the government – at [...]
State of Brazil IT: Outsourcing & contracting | IT Decisions, 6 months ago
[...] Much of the discord in the industry comes from outsourcing and freelance contracting being seen as an anomaly, not a usual or regulated employment practice. This comes from the not-so-small issue of Brazilian employment legislation not being updated for aro… [...]