-Nestlé
currently provides health care services and covers the costs of
medicines for all its retired workers. Last week, this transnational
corporation began to implement a measure to pressure workers with
more than 25 years in the company into retiring immediately, or else
they would lose their medicine coverage benefits once they retired.
This measure was taken without first consulting the union. When it
came to our attention, we asked all Nestlé workers in the
country not to sign any document forcing them to retire (although
many had already done so). We then called an urgent meeting at
FETIASP headquarters to discuss the issue and ask Nestlé
to explain its action, which in the opinion of the union was a form
of extortion.
-What arguments did the company use to justify adopting the measure
without consulting the union?
-According to the company, due to the global financial crisis it had
to begin “cutting back or limiting expenses.” What’s absurd about
this is that they began by cutting the benefits of retired workers,
which are among the most affected by the crisis. There are currently
1,500 retired Nestlé workers and some 150 workers with more
than 25 years in the company who are still active in factories
around the country. For a transnational corporation, 150 is not such
a huge number, and it won’t go very far in terms of cutting
expenses. But for these workers, Nestlé’s measure -which was
stopped in time through the efforts of organized labor- would have
been very cruel.
-What then is the situation of Nestlé workers today, both retired
and in activity?
-At
the meeting with the company we reached the following agreement: any
worker who had 25 years of seniority as of March of this year would
maintain the same rights as the workers who have already retired.
Thus the measure was suspended.
They also declared void any document signed in this sense by
workers, as they had not been properly informed and were tricked
into signing. But just in case we advised all union members who wish
to retire of their own free will, to first come by the union. We’ve
had no cases to date, which is entirely understandable, as this is a
decision that has a huge effect on the life of a worker, and nobody
can be expected to make such a huge decision overnight.
