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These are rights that
must form the fundamental basis of a company like JBS, which
operates globally, including in Italy, through a strategic
partnership signed with INALCA (of Gruppo Cremonini) in 2007.
A global company with
140 plants distributed around the world and 125,000 workers, which
only days ago conducted a major advertisement campaign featured in
leading national and local newspapers, boasting its support to
sustainable growth and concern for the environment and for people.
This publicity campaign also reaffirmed the company's commitment to
the common good, and highlighted the trust of its clients, suppliers
and workers.
These
are big, weighty words and statements, which should be backed by the
actions of any company that seeks to be competitive in the third
millennium, investing in “social responsibility,” in people and in
the environment. Unfortunately, after learning of the situation you
are facing and the harsh struggle you have been waging for the past
15 days, I see now that these statements by JBS in Italy are
mere propaganda.
Earlier
today I issued a press release, which will also be delivered to the
local management of JBS in Italia, to communicate our
organization's position.
I
express my personal, complete and unconditional solidarity with the
struggle you are engaged in. This labor conflict has many points in
common with the one we are facing in the INALCA-JBS plant in
Modena, where we are demanding respect for the workers and
observance of the collective bargaining agreement.
This
similarity is also found throughout the entire beef and pork
production sector, in Italy, Europe and the world. These common
characteristics show a degree of exploitation, illegality and
disrespect for workers' rights that transcends national boundaries,
that seeks to bring those rights evenly down to their lowest
expression everywhere, as a strategy implemented by unscrupulous
transnational corporations throughout the Globe.
These
are also the perverse effects of economic globalization. What we
cannot accept is for this to exist in companies that claim to
respect people and promote sustainable growth.
I am
hopeful that JBS will realize the error of its ways, and will
sit down again to negotiate with its workers in a responsible
manner, demonstrating it is consistent with its public sayings here
in Italy.
FLAI-CGIL Modena salutes you and expresses its unconditional
solidarity with your struggle.
Warmest regards,
Umberto Franciosi
FLAI-CGIL Modena General Secretary
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