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On 17 October,
in Marau (RS, Brazil) a National Meeting of the Poultry Sector was held, focused
on the workers' health. The meeting was organized by the National Confederation
of the Food Industry Workers(CONTAC) with the participation of 25 unions and 4
federations, with the
support of the IUF and the Central
Confederation of Workers (CUT) of Brazil. Siderlei de Oliveira, President of
CONTAC, told Sirel his assessment of this significant event
-Please tell us about the development of the meeting of 17 October?
-It
was a good seminar, it proceeded according to our expectations with good
participation and high-level speakers. For instance, the participation of the
Regional Secretary of the IUF, Gerardo Iglesias, is to be highlighted,
with his speech he provoked a very good discussion on the health situation of
the food sector internationally.
-Which were the strengths of the seminar?
-The highest point of the meeting was the homologation number release of the
bill put forward by CONTAC, on
the reduction of the work week to 40 hours, which was submitted for discussion
to the Vice President of the
Chamber
of Deputies, Marcos
Maia.
This bill is closely related to the work of the CONTAC in the health area,
mainly concerning the excessive work pace in the meat and poultry processing
industry.
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The
National Institute of Social Security (INSS), has records of 653,000
work accidents in 2007, 27 per cent higher than 2006, when the
number case records was 512,000. |
There were
other important decisions taken by the Seminar, such as the creation of a
MERCOSUR
Meat and Poultry Workers Coordinating Committee, at this first stage composed of
Argentina, Uruguay, Brasil and Chile.
Also, on 9 and
10 November there will be a night demonstration of CONTAC workers in the
capital city, Brasilia, in order to demand the approval of the bill,
which will be discussed on that date. This will be the first time we take this
type of union action. On Wednesday, CONTAC will
take part in the National March of several union federations and confederations
for the reduction of work hours at the national level.
What is your evaluation of the meeting?
It was very
positive from different viewpoints, joint actions were proposed for the
MERCOSUR in order to improve the health conditions of workers in the meat
and poultry sector, which is material and necessary.
And the
union coordination of the
Finnish Federation of Food Workers (SEL)
must be highlighted.
Likewise, years
of work of
CONTAC reaching
its peak with a bill of law is not only a victory for the workers of this sector
but also for all salaried workers of the country.
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