71.   Union leaders and opposition politicians say the new law threatens their job security by making it easier for companies to dismiss workers when they encounter financial difficulties.

72.   Union members say they are convinced that a far lower second tier like that would drive landlords to dismiss experienced workers and replace them with less costly newcomers.

73.   Weinstein denies dismissing workers because they favored the union.

74.   While under bankruptcy protection, U.S. companies can dismiss workers fairly easily and radically reshape themselves.

75.   With the new labor law, workers fear, companies will be able to dismiss workers without providing severance pay.

76.   Without the revenue to support their costs, companies are unlikely to stop dismissing workers or start investing in new computers and equipment again.

77.   Yet closing down this mastodon and dismissing its workers would be tantamount to closing down the country, which is of course impossible.

78.   Both sides stopped negotiating a week ago when the Supreme Labor Tribunal ruled the strike illegal, giving Petrobras the right to dismiss workers without compensation.

79.   Education Minister Claude Allegre said the government would ensure that Renault workers were not dismissed without other work options being available.

80.   He did not say how many workers would be dismissed.