The Labor Court determined that the City of Feira de Santana, the president of the City Council, Marcos Lima, and councilor Flávio Arruda Morais, known as Galeguinho, do not put pressure on servers and other workers because of their political choices. The decision was taken after an action by the Public Ministry of Labor (MPT), which investigates suspicions of electoral harassment in the municipal Legislature.
The decision was partially granted by judge Murilo Carvalho Sampaio Oliveira, as a matter of urgency, on the eve of the second round of elections.
What the court determined
The decision prohibits defendants from coercing, intimidating or pressuring public servants, outsourced employees, interns and other workers to vote, refrain from voting or support candidates and political parties.
It is also prohibited to promise advantages or threaten to cause professional harm because of workers' political preferences, in addition to demanding their participation in campaign events.
Another determination prevents the carrying out of polls, the use of forms or artificial intelligence tools to identify or monitor employees' voting intentions.
Defendants must also disclose the content of the decision on the Chamber's channels and institutional work groups within 24 hours. Furthermore, they will have to preserve the files, messages and metadata related to the audios and statements investigated.
In case of non-compliance, the Court established a fine of R$10,000 per episode of coercion or alteration and destruction of evidence. Delays in publishing the decision or proving the preservation of files can result in a daily fine of R$2,000, limited to R$20,000 per defendant.
Why did the MPT sue the court?
The public civil action was filed by the MPT on Friday (23), following reports of possible electoral harassment involving workers linked to the municipal administration and the City Council.
One of the reasons was the circulation of an audio attributed to the President of the Chamber, Marcos Lima, with mentions of possible functional losses and political surveillance. The parliamentarian, however, stated that he does not recognize the authenticity of the recording and claimed that the Presidency's devices and accounts were hacked.
The MPT also considered statements attributed to councilor Galeguinho, who had stated that advisors with divergent political positions could lose their positions. In one of the statements mentioned in the action, the councilor said that, for these employees, “the entry door would also be the exit door”.
The body called for urgent measures to prevent possible political pressure in the workplace and protect civil servants and commissioned employees, outsourced workers, interns and apprentices. He also requested payment of R$200,000 for collective moral damages.
The city hall was included in the process because the City Council does not have its own legal personality.
What those involved say
In a note sent to TV Subaé, an affiliate of Rede Bahia in the region, the Presidency of the Chamber stated that it does not recognize the authenticity of the audio in circulation and claimed that the devices and institutional accounts were the target of invasion.
The note also highlighted that voting is free, secret and personal and that no embarrassment to employees is permitted. The Presidency also stated that Marcos Lima's political preferences are expressed only by him as a citizen, outside the institutional space, and that he will adopt the appropriate legal measures.
The City of Feira de Santana, in turn, reported that Mayor José Ronaldo is recovering, at home, after undergoing heart surgery. According to the Municipal Secretariat of Social Communication (Secom), he is away from political activities at the moment and is dedicated to his recovery.
Regarding the Labor Court's decision, g1 also contacted the City Council, which reported that it had not yet been officially communicated about the determination. Councilor Geleguinho, included in the complaint, was also contacted, and g1 is awaiting a response.
