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With Melquíades de Araujo, FETIASP

Pepsico, the "Big Brother"

Workers mobilized to improve working conditions

 

Last September, negotiations began between the Food Industry Union of Campinas, member of the Federation of Food Industry Workers  of São Paulo (FETIASP) and the transnational corporation PepsiCo. Sirel spoke with Melquiades de Araujo, president of the Federation, who reported the different steps of this process, the most difficult negotiation items, the progress that the Union has achieved by dint of constant mobilization, and an aberrant assessment system imposed on workers (360 degree feedback), a "Big Brother ", which is seriously affecting workers in this company.

 

-In what stage is the negotiation of the Union of Campinas with PepsiCo?

-Collective bargaining with  PepsiCo, began last September, we are currently discussing terms of outsourcing, this item is now in the Ministry of Labour, because we have not reached agreement through direct negotiation.

 

For 8 years we have been struggling to eliminate this method of recruitment definitely. So far we have managed to reduce the percentage of contract labor in snacks factories significantly .

 

At present all factories that are part of the  PepsiCo Group  in Brazil, are using a high percentage of outsourced labor.

 

-As for the other items being negotiated, has there been any progress?

-We are still negotiating, there has been some progress as regards participation in profits and results (PLR), we obtained more equitable terms for workers of this transnational corporation.

The "360 degree feedback" is causing serious psychological problems among workers, there have even been suicide attempts. It's like Big Brother, everyone against each other.

 

For example, previously if a worker was fired after having worked 11 months in the company he or she was not entitled to the profit sharing program  PLR. Now such workers are entitled, and in case of death, the worker's family will receive the corresponding amount.

 

Still no progress on issues such as the "informal" time bank that the company implemented for the administrative sector, without agreement of the workers, and the so-called  “360 degree feedback”. This is a discussion we have had with PepsiCo  for years and not only during the period provided for collective bargaining, it is a discussion that we maintain all year round.

 

PepsiCo  is one of the most difficult TNCs to negotiate with, we usually end up in court. For example, on the time bank we submitted a complaint with the Ministry of Labor requesting that the company rectifies the situation with workers by retroactive payment of overtime.

 

Regarding the "360 degree feedback”, we exhausted the dialogue with the company, with no progress.

 

- What is specifically the "360 degree feedback”?

-This is an evaluation method where after working all year with a group of people, workers of a certain sector of the company, must evaluate each other, having to comply with a rating scale from 1 to 4.

 

In this assessment at least 10 percent of workers are evaluated negatively and this directly affects their wages, and discounts or incentives are made according to the score obtained by each worker.

 

This is causing serious psychological problems among workers, there have even been suicide attempts. It's like Big Brother, everyone against each other. This is one of the issues most discussed by the Union of Campinas with the intention that it be removed.  PepsiCo, however, considers such evaluations are positive.

 

-What measures has the Union taken, apart from the complaints to the Labor Ministry?

-We are constantly conducting meetings, pushing the company to improve working conditions, as well as wages.

 

The Union continues mobilized and continues negotiations, the idea is that there is no truce for PepsiCo

 

 

From Montevideo, Amalia Antúnez

Rel-UITA

November 25, 2010

 

 

 

 

Photos: FETIASP

 

  UITA - Secretaría Regional Latinoamericana - Montevideo - Uruguay

Wilson Ferreira Aldunate 1229 / 201 - Tel. (598 2) 900 7473 -  902 1048 -  Fax 903 0905