Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva kicks off his final re-election campaign Sunday at the historic Primeiro de Maio Stadium, where he once addressed thousands of striking metalworkers in 1979 from an unamplified platform. This venue in São Bernardo do Campo, a city renowned for its industrial past, honors the labor movement that catapulted Lula from factory worker to Brazil’s first president from the working class.
Decades later, Lula faces new challenges in garnering support among a younger, digitally connected workforce—particularly gig economy workers who lack ties to traditional unions and the factory floors that once powered his party. After setbacks in city elections in 2024, Lula emphasized the need to adapt his messaging to a changing labor landscape, highlighting that economic participation now extends beyond conventional, formal employment.
The Workers’ Party (PT) is pushing for policies like a shorter workweek and improved protections for gig workers—covering wages, working conditions, social benefits, and platform algorithms. However, corporate opposition has stymied progress, and many young app workers remain skeptical of government intervention, a stance that appeals to Lula’s main right-wing opponent, Senator Flavio Bolsonaro.
At the heart of Lula’s dilemma is the rise of informal jobs that fall outside Brazil’s formal labor system, which traditionally offers extensive worker protections and social benefits. Formal employment among workers has decreased from 46.7% in 2010 to just 38.2% in December 2025, despite the unemployment rate dropping to a record low of 5.1%.
Many gig workers, like 27-year-old Darlan Almeida, who used to have a formal job but now earns more delivering packages via app in São Bernardo do Campo—where his Lula-supporting father worked in a factory—feel misunderstood by the government’s efforts. “They don’t know what we need or how we work. They should spend a day with us on the streets,” Almeida said.
Approximately 2.1 million Brazilians now work through digital platforms, growing by 170% since 2015, according to central bank estimates. Uber driver Eduardo Marini, 51, values the flexibility of his delivery job over formal employment, despite complaints about working conditions and concerns that regulation might limit his independence.
Many platform workers lean right politically, fearing government overreach. A 2023 survey funded by Uber and iFood found about 40% identify as right-leaning, with another 40% positioning themselves as centrist. Only 20% consider themselves left-leaning.
Lula’s attempts to regulate platform work in 2024 faced pushback from tech giants and growing worker distrust, leading to stalled legislation again this year. His party’s struggle to connect with an increasingly informal and union-averse workforce reflects a broader crisis of representation; union membership has nearly halved over the last decade, plunging to 8.9% in 2024 from 15.7% in 2014.
Political science professor Marco Teixeira notes that the Workers’ Party lacks a clear message for workers without a clear employer. Party president Edinho Silva advocates for a better understanding of informal workers’ realities, criticizing unions and left groups for not engaging with these populations effectively—”They aren’t talking to them, organizing them, or present in their daily lives.”
Workers like 43-year-old Rogerio do Santo, who spent seven years driving for Uber, are seeking formal employment again due to decreasing earnings and a lack of collective representation. “We don’t have anyone representing us or fighting for better conditions,” he explains.
A 2025 PT survey shows that 65% of informal workers want to be entrepreneurs, while only 27.5% prefer formal jobs. Yet, over half still see protections like sick pay, injury benefits, and minimum wage as highly significant, with many divided on union membership—around 40% see benefits in having a personal union, but the same percentage would choose not to join one.
