This Saturday, the British newspaper The Guardian published a letter from the Brazilian Ambassador in Great Britain, where he protest against a recent article in which Brazil’s cane cutters are described as “ethanol slaves.”

According to the report from Palmares Paulista (São Paulo), featured in the March 9 edition, Brazil's ethanol industry is ‘propped up’ by a “destitute migrant workforce of about 200,000 men” who work in conditions that many perceive as being close to slavery.

In his letter, Bustani says that cane cutters “are free to come and go and have the right to join trade unions.” “In São Paulo state, the focus of the article, almost 90% of the 400,000 sugar-cane laborers work in the formal economy, meaning they have statutory employment rights,” the letter continues.

Long workdays

The ambassador also responds to The Guardian article’s claim that sugar-cane cutters work 12 hour shifts and earn about R$ 2 per ton of sugar cane cut.

“The Brazilian government does acknowledge the problem of long hours worked by cane-cutters, [...] and is stepping up regulatory measures in order to protect them,” Bustani assured in his letter to the newspaper.

The Guardian had also criticized the fact that workers from the northeast region moved to the area to find work solely during the harvest, something that Bustani admits is true.

But Bustani claims that that situation is changing. “Seasonal employment is actually declining due to increased mechanization and better training for the permanent workforce,” he says.

The ambassador closes his letter saying that the article “implies there is a general lack of concern with the welfare of cane-cutters and their families.”

But “the fact remains that Brazil’s sugar-cane mills maintain more than 600 schools, 200 childcare centers and 300 medical posts,” he concludes.

BBC Brasil *

March 18, 2007

* Rel-UITA thanks Jair Krischke for contributing this news item.

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