Brazilian gov't banned by court from advertising social security reform

RIO DE JANEIRO, Dec. 1 (Xinhua) -- A federal court in Brazil Thursday announced the pause of an advertising campaign rolled out by the government to promote the country's controversial social security reform bill.

To increase popular support for the reform, which is currently very low, the government is carrying out a media campaign, titled "Fight the Privileges," talking about the advantages and necessity of the reform.

The campaign has called on public workers to give up some of their alleged privileges, so that the government will have more money to invest in education, public healthcare and security.

However, the National Association of Revenues Service Auditors filed a suit against the campaign, saying that it has spread false information to the population.

Judge Rosimayre Carvalho from the Brasilia Federal Court ordered the suspension of the campaign in the whole country, claiming that the advertisements "disqualify" public workers by saying that they "work too little, earn too much and retire too early."

She also said that the retirement rules of public workers are different from others in general. The advertisements tend to mislead the public and let them believe that public workers' retirement causes the problems in Brazil's social security system.

The Brazilian government last week announced several modifications to the bill, including changes related to retirement and minimum working years, in a bid to ensure the bill's approval in the Congress.

The bill, to be voted by the end of the year, is a constitutional amendment proposal that requires a two-thirds majority in both the House and the Senate to be approved. Enditem