Brazilians launch national strike protesting against President Jair Bolsonaro's Pension Reforms

Thousands of Brazilians brought some services in several cities across the country to a standstill on Friday after launching a national strike to protest against President Jair Bolsonaro's pension reforms proposal.

Early in the day commuters found themselves stranded in front of closed gates at metro, train and bus stations across the country. Papers taped to the gates of banks, schools and shops, warned a strike was ongoing, as workers blocked roads, office buildings and highway tolls

As part of the pension reform proposal, the government will seek to raise the retirement age and increase workers' contributions. The government has said the reforms would generate billions of dollars in savings, and kick-start Brazil's stagnant economy. But many Brazilians and their unions say the reforms will increase inequalities and hurt workers

Ricardo Patah, President of General Union of Workers (UGT) told Al Jazeera that a "pension reform is important" but not "as it is being presented by the government."

"All workers must be treated the same and there shouldn't be first or second-class citizens," he said, criticising the current reform's different rules for military, judges and deputies

"Brazil doesn't deserve this level of disrespect against workers," he added. "We didn't vote for Bolsonaro but he was elected democratically and is now on his hands to give us a different country, a Brazil without corruption, with jobs and opportunities."