On Oct. 4, the
workers of the JBS - Friboi plant at Campo Grande, in the Brazilian state of
Mato Grosso do Sul, launched a strike to protest the company's refusal to
negotiate. What initially looked like a change of attitude on the part of Friboi
turned out to be a confirmation that the company takes its workers for fools and
underestimates their capacity to struggle.
Sirel
spoke with Vilson Gimenes, president of the Meat Industry Workers Union
of Campo Grande, who reported that the company contacted the union announcing it
had a proposal.
The union met
with company representatives only to find out that the proposal was just a ruse:
if we ended the strike
and the workers resumed their tasks completely, then the company would agree to
begin negotiations.
According to
Vilson Gimenes, “They're mocking us. This proposal is absurd, and they know
we can't accept it. But they probably came up with it so that they won't show up
empty-handed when we go before the Labor Court and the Labor Ministry, where we
have already denounced the antiunion and irresponsible attitude of JBS -
Friboi Campo Grande.
The union
rejected this humiliating proposal, and continues to denounce the presence of
some 50 scabs illegally hired by the company, which is even housing some them in
facilities rented by JBS - Friboi. This situation will be
addressed today in the Labor Ministry.
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