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Mass Dismissal at Eletrobras Affects Public Servants and People with Disabilities After Privatization. Bill in the Senate Tries to Reverse Scenario and Rekindles Legal Battle.
Public servants from Eletrobras who were dismissed after the privatization of the company occupied the galleries of the Pernambuco Legislative Assembly (Alepe) on June 11, 2025 to demand support from state deputies for the Bill 1791/2019, which is being processed in the National Congress and deals with the reintegration of workers laid off from the subsidiaries of the former state-owned company.
Among those dismissed without just cause, there are approximately 100 people with disabilities, which has triggered a wave of lawsuits and protests in different states across the country.
Emblematic Case and Impact on People with Disabilities
One of the most talked-about cases was that of the Pernambuco journalist Paulo Pereira, who worked for 14 years at the São Francisco Hydroelectric Company (Chesf), a subsidiary of Eletrobras.
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With motor disability and undergoing treatment for chronic anxiety and depression, he was laid off without just cause while still awaiting the completion of the INSS medical examination.
According to him, the dismissal occurred abruptly and without any dialogue, violating basic principles of protection for workers in vulnerable conditions.
“Ableism is not just direct prejudice. It is also present in the veiled exclusion and the silence that falls upon us when we occupy a work space. When we are dismissed, we rarely manage to return”, he reported.
Legal Basis and Case Law
Experts consulted by unions point out that the dismissals may constitute a violation of the Federal Constitution, which prohibits discriminatory dismissal (Article 7, Section XXXI), in addition to contravening provisions of Law No. 8,213/1991, which guarantees the inclusion of people with disabilities in the labor market and prohibits arbitrary dismissal without plausible justification.
There is also case law favorable to the reinstatement of these workers: in May 2022, the Regional Labor Court of the 1st Region (TRT-RJ) unanimously ruled for the reinstatement of employees with disabilities dismissed in a similar context, a decision that has been ignored by the companies that succeeded the state-owned enterprise.
Processing of the Reemployment Bill
The Bill 1791/2019, nicknamed the “Reemployment Bill”, seeks to ensure the reallocation of former public servants from Eletrobras to other public companies or mixed-economy companies.
The proposal has already been approved in the committees of the Chamber of Deputies and is awaiting new reporting in the Federal Senate.
The text provides for the inclusion of articles 8-A and 8-B in Law No. 12,783/2013, establishing that employees dismissed during privatization, provided they are public servants, may be absorbed by other entities of the indirect public administration.
Political Support in Pernambuco
In the Pernambuco Legislative Assembly, support for the project has been public and direct.
State Deputy João Paulo (PT) stated that he will bring the issue to Senator Humberto Costa (PT), in an effort to accelerate the processing in the Senate.
Deputy Dani Portela emphasized that the proposal is an “act of justice” towards professionals who “dedicated their lives to public service” and helped build “one of the most robust electric systems in the world”.
The parliamentarians Waldemar Borges (PSB) and Socorro Pimentel (União Brasil) also expressed their support for the demands of the former employees.
Union Mobilization and Legal Action
The National Federation of Urban Workers (FNU) and state unions, such as the Pernambuco Urban Workers Union, have been strategizing legal and political measures to reverse the dismissals.
The organizations argue that the layoffs disrespect previous court decisions and challenge the principle of human dignity, one of the foundations of the Republic according to the Constitution.
In parallel to the activities in Congress, individual and collective actions are being filed requesting the reinstatement of workers, based on constitutional, infra-constitutional rights and established jurisprudence.
Legal and Legislative Perspectives
The current scenario reveals a legal and political dispute surrounding the future of hundreds of public servants who entered Eletrobras through public competition and are now facing unemployment, many of them in conditions of physical or psychological vulnerability.
While the Senate has not concluded the analysis of the Bill 1791/2019, pressures are increasing on the Executive and Judiciary to ensure an outcome that respects acquired rights and prevents the exclusion of professionals with a history of dedication to public service.
In light of the increasing judicialization of the issue, experts warn about the need for a swift legislative solution, which ensures stability and dignity for workers who have always fulfilled their legal and contractual obligations.
Absurdo o que fizeram com a empresa. Entregaram para um bando de aves de rapina que imediatamente aumentaram seus próprios salários de 50 mil para mais de 600 mil ao custo de demitir centenas de pessoas que produziam e ganhavam seus 15mil.
O pior é ver colegas do funcionalismo público sendo favoráveis às privatizações, e votando em políticos que votam favoráveis à isso.