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The workers of
Brazil’s third leading meatpacking company, located in Barretos, state of São
Paulo, demand better pay, a share in the company’s profits and results, and more
importantly that the company join collective bargaining at the state level.
Sirel spoke with Artur Bueno de
Camargo, president of the National Confederation of Food and Related Industry
Workers (CNTA), who explained why negotiations have reached a deadlock.
-What are the
workers’ demands?
-The workers at
this meatpacking plant are demanding a raise in wages, an increase in the value
of the basic food basket, and for a higher wage floor,
as the company has the country’s
lowest wage floor in its category.
The leading
reason for this situation is that the
Minerva
Group
refuses to
participate in collective bargaining at the state level. This has resulted in
its workers being denied benefits that all other workers in their sector have.
Moreover, the company refuses to give them a share in profits and results.
In this
context, the Barretos Food Industry Workers’ Union (STIA) called on the
National Confederation of Food and Related Industry Workers (CNTA) and
the Federation of Food Industry Workers (FTIA) to act as mediators in the
negotiations with the company. Following a deadlock where no progress was being
made, last Jan. 11 we held a major demonstration in front of the meatpacking
plant with the participation of workers and their families, with the aim of
pressuring the company.
-What impact
did this measure have?
-After the
demonstration we were able to move forward in some issues. The company accepted
our demand to increase the value of the basic food basket and offered to bring
the wage floor up by 13 percent and give a 6.5 percent raise to all workers; but
even with this improvement of its initial proposal the
Minerva
Group
is still
offering benefits that are well below those granted by other São Palo companies
in the sector.
-What issues
are still pending?
-We’re still
negotiating the issue of participation in profits and results; we demand that
the company immediately implement a system that gives workers a share in the
profits and results, and that the
Minerva
Group
sign an
agreement whereby it commits itself to join collective bargaining at the São
Paulo state level.
The company is
considering these issues as we speak, but it has not announced its position yet.
We’re still waiting, but according to its spokespersons the company will give
its response anytime now.
-What will
happen if it doesn’t accept these demands?
-The most
important demand for our union is that Minerva join the state bargaining
process; if the company refuses us on this demand, than it will be very hard for
us to reach an agreement.
We’re giving
them until next week. If we have no answer by then, we’ll resume mobilizations.
Representatives of CNTA, FTIA-SP, and the Barreto Food
Industry Workers’ Union |
