Brasilia, April 08 (teleSUR-RHC) Brazilian unions and social movements staged protests throughout the country on Tuesday to reject the passing of a proposed legislation that would weaken labor rights.

The president of the Single Confederation of Workers (CUT) Vagner Freitas, Brazil's largest labor union, fears that the legislative measure, which was introduced to the Brazilian Lower House on Tuesday, will lead to deteriorating working conditions and wages. "The agenda of business owners has become the priority of congress. Therefore, we must organize and mobilize our bases, because the struggle for the maintenance and expansion of rights will require a huge effort from all of us,” said Freitas.

Protests took place in many cities across the country, including Belo Horizonte, Sao Paulo, Salvador, Manaus, and Recife, among others. One of the key organizers of Tuesday’s demonstrations, the Movement of Landless Workers, known as the MST, has stated that the protesters will march in support of a wide range of issues including political reform, workers rights as well as in defense of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff.

The call to defend Rousseff has also been endorsed by influential former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. Similarly, Rousseff’s Workers Party issued a statement on March 30 calling on the deployment of a "wide political front" of progressive parties and social movements to advance the PT's "historical goals.”