There are professional cowboys in Brazil and they have their workers’ rights protected by law.
Back in 2013 the Brazilian Senate passed a law that officially recognized the profession of cowboy in the country. Considering there have been cowboys in Brazil since it was founded, this was a big win for the one million Brazilians who practice the profession.
With the law, the vaqueiros (cowboys) gained legal rights and benefits such as better pay (most didn’t even make minimum wage), life insurance, overtime, health benefits, vacation time, and the so-called “décimo terceiro”. Literally it means thirteenth. It is a monetary bonus at Christmas time equal to what the employee makes per month. Every employee has that legal right in Brazil.
The duties of a cowboy were officially defined as such: feeding, milking, training and preparing animals for cultural and sporting events while assuring they aren’t subjected to violence, and assisting with the care necessary for their reproduction.
The move in support of cowboys is one more step in the right direction for Brazil. Lifting up those at the bottom is better for the country than to let those at the top rise even higher.
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