São Paulo City Council passes 3.51% municipal employee salary raise

The São Paulo Municipal Chamber approved a 3.51% salary increase for city workers in a second‑round vote on May 13, with 35 votes in favor and 16 against. The raise will be paid in two installments – 2% starting 1 May 2026 and 1.48% from 1 May 2027 – and is projected to cost about R$ 1.1 billion annually.

The vote was marked by heated exchanges among councilors and protests outside the chamber. Lawmakers from both the right and left clashed, and members of the Metropolitan Civil Guard confronted union demonstrators. Unions criticized the proposal, citing inflation of roughly 5.5% over the past year and warning that the measure could undermine education and the status of early‑childhood teachers.