Police officers patrol on the street in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on June 30, 2017. Nationwide protests on Friday rejected unpopular labor and social security reforms backed by the government of President Michel Temer. (Xinhua/Rahel Patrasso)
BRASILIA, June 30 (Xinhua) -- Nationwide protests on Friday rejected unpopular labor and social security reforms backed by the government of President Michel Temer.
Marches organized by unions and civic groups were held in "every state and the federal district," the daily Globo news network said on its website.
Some roadways were blocked with burning tires, including the street leading to the state-run energy company Electrobras, and avenues in the cities of Recife, Salvador, Aracaju, Fortaleza, Goiania and Porto Alegre.
All of the country's major unions took part, among them the Unified Workers' Central (CUT) and Union Power (Fuerza Sindical).
The CUT and left-leaning civic groups also carried banners that read "Temer Out," and calling for early general elections.
The president has been embroiled in corruption scandals, and lawmakers are currently analyzing the charges against him.
The protests' impact was softened somewhat by the fact that public transit unions in some major cities, like Sao Paulo, did not join the general strike.
However, in the capital Brasilia, the subway and bus lines were suspended, as transit workers joined teachers and bank workers in the 24-hour work stoppage.
The labor reforms, which make employee contracts more flexible for the benefit of companies, have been approved by the Chamber of Deputies but have yet to pass through the Senate.
Pension reform that raises the age of retirement has met with even more resistance, as it requires a constitutional amendment to become effective.
