With Neuza Barbosa de Lima

Brazil not spared by global situation

SIREL spoke with Neuza Barbosa de Lima, vice president of the IUF's Executive Committee and director of the Federation of Food Industry Workers of São Paulo (FETIASP), in the framework of the IUF Global Dairy Conference.

-How important is the dairy sector in the state of São Paulo specifically and in FETIASP?

-It's an enormously important sector, both in the state and in our Federation, as among our affiliates we have a large number of trade unions from the sector, including the largest in membership. In the state of São Paulo alone the sector employs more than 20,000 people, mostly concentrated in the capital where the leading industries are located.

-Is there a big difference between the price paid to the producer and what consumers are charged for milk?

-Yes, there's quite a large difference. Producers are currently being paid 0,60 to 0,70 reais per liter of milk, while the liter is sold to consumers at 1.60 reais, although this price varies depending on the level of production and can be as high as 2.20 reais (about US$ 1.2) per liter.

-The global market trend is towards increasing concentration of production in a handful of companies. Is this happening in Brazil too?

-It certainly is. Brazil has not been spared by this global market trend. First, Parmalat began buying up small-scale local companies. Then, following the crisis suffered by this transnational corporation, other large companies from other sectors started to acquire shares of the dairy market. An example of this is Perdigão, which absorbed Batavo and Elegé, among others.

This is one of the leading problems faced by the sector in Brazil, as the trend towards concentration in a handful of companies harms small-scale producers and manufacturers, directly impacting employment through job cuts.

-What percentage of women workers is there in Brazil's dairy sector?

-Women make up about 20 to 30 percent of the labor force, but this sector is predominantly male.

-What are working conditions like in terms of health?

-Occupational diseases abound, especially because the industry's workers are exposed to drastic temperature changes, which have led to an increase in respiratory complaints. So they not only suffer Repetitive Strain Injuries (RSI), but also pneumonia, flu, and other illnesses.

-Has any progress been made in health issues?

-Yes. Numerous health inspections are conducted now, and the country's labor laws that regulate health and safety conditions are being effectively enforced, so the percentage of occupational illnesses has gone down.

-What challenges does FETIASP face in the dairy sector?

-One of our main objectives is to mitigate the sector's trend towards concentration in a few companies, to prevent small-scale producers from being wiped out. In this sense, the Federation conducted negotiations with the government of the state of São Paulo to obtain tax reductions for small- and medium-scale producers, as an incentive for them to remain in the state.

Another favorable outcome was that we were able to place fresh milk from these producers in social programs and public schools as a way of increasing their share of the market.

-What are your expectations from the IUF Global Dairy Conference?

-The possibility of sharing experiences with other countries is a very good way of strengthening the position of workers, in particular to enable them to find joint solutions to the problems faced by the dairy sector around the world.