FÓRUM CARAJÁS

Rua Paulino Sousa, nº 367 Monte Castelo
São Luís/Maranhão/Brasil
CNPJ 04.381.717/0001-81
Fone: (98) 232 7427
Email: forumcarajas@elo.com.br
Homepage: www.forumcarajas.org.br

Alcan Inc.
Dr. John Evans
Chairman of the Board,
Corporate Head Office
1188 Sherbrooke Street West
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
H3A 3G2

Accident at ALUMAR Company in São Luis/Brazil

Dear Mr Chairman,

we want to inform you about the accident that happened two days ago on Friday, 6^th July 2001 at 13:30 hours in the ALUMAR Aluminum company in São Luis, Brazil. Six workers - three of the Alumar company and three of the subcontracted ENESA company - where injured and had to be brought for treatment to the São Domingos hospital in São Luis.

The ALUMAR Company is keeping the accident as a secret and is not willing to give further information of the accident to the SINDMETAL metal workers union, which is representing the workers at ALUMAR. The company visit of our German-Brazilian trade union and NGO delegation that was foreseen and had been agreed by the ALUMAR management for yesterday, 7^th July was canceled by the company because of the accident. The company has given strictly order to the São Domingos hospital not to allow any visitors to get in contact with the injured workers. Only with support of the family members we were able to talk with two of the workers in the hospital.

The way that ALUMAR is treating this accident is not acceptable. The trade union and the workers have the right to get any information about the accident. The accident itself shows that the company policy of implementing health and safety concepts from the top to the bottom without consultation and participation of the workers and their union is an error. The recent accident is only highlighting a general attitude of the ALUMAR company and which is characterized by continuing disrespect of fundamental human and workers rights, pollution of environment and neglecting responsibility for the negative affects of the Aluminum production to the local fisherman communities in the neighborhood. There are similar problems in other Bauxite and Aluminum companies in the Brazilian Amazon region like Mineracao Rio do Norte, ALUNORTE and ALBRAS in the state of Pará.

Since more than five years we now have been in dialogue with the Aluminum industry in Germany and in Europe that is promoting the Aluminum as a future metal and is claiming to have adopted economical, ecological and social sustainability as guideline of the companies policy all over the world. There is a huge gap between the nice picture the Aluminum industry likes to present to the public and to their customers in the Europe and the reality in Brazil.

We feel that our dialogue with the Aluminum industry in Europe so far has had poor results in Brazil and that we need more public pressure to get transnational companies like ALCAN, ALCOA or Norsk Hydro to respect international labor and environmental standards like the ILO conventions, the OECD guidelines or the Global Compact in all parts of the world. We will continue to inform the civil society, the media, the governments and the customers of the Aluminum industry in Brazil, in Europe and in North America about the bad behavior of transnational Aluminum companies in Brazil.

We demand

• Fully access of information of the accident in the ALUMAR company to the SINDMETAL union and to the public

• Union participation in elaboration, implementation and monitoring of occupational health and safety systems in the Bauxite and Aluminum companies Mineracao Rio do Norte, ALUMAR, ALUNORTE and ALBRAS

• Occupational health and safety centers in cities of São Luis and Belém with tripartite control of local governments, companies and unions in order to make independent studies and give consultancy to the workers and their unions

• Negotiation and implementation of works councils within the Aluminum industry in the Brazilian Amazon region based on the model of existing works councils in the transnational companies in the ABC region of São Paulo

• Fully respect of international human and trade union rights and environmental standards in the Aluminum companies and the surrounding neighborhoods of CVRD, ALCAN, ALCOA and Norsk Hydro in São Luis, Barcarena and Oriximiná

Yours sincerely

Raimundo Monteiro dos Santos
President of CUT Maranhão
Rua de Pespontão 256
CEP. 65010-460 São Luis - Maranhão
Phone: ++ 98-2320714
Fax: ++ 98-2326810
e-mail: cut@elo.com.br

Annex

• Newspaper article of the ALUMAR accident

• Police certificate of armed frightening of trade unionist by security staff of ALUMAR

Copies to

• Press and media in Brazil, Europe and North America

• ILO,

• OECD

• ABAL,

• Gesamtverband der Aluminiumindustrie (GDA)

• Brazilian ministry of labor

• FUNDACENTRO

• Central Única do Trabalhadores (CUT),

• Quemical and metal workers federations of CUT

• IG Metall and IG Bergbau, Chemie, Energie

• City halls of São Luís, Belém, Barcarena e Oriximiná

• Audia, CVRD, HYDRO, ALBRAS, ALUNORTE, ALUMAR, MRN

Annex

• Newspaper article of the ALUMAR accident

• Police certificate of armed frightening of trade unionist by security staff of ALUMAR

Copies to

• Press and media in Brazil, Europe and North America

• ILO,

• OECD

• ABAL,

• Gesamtverband der Aluminiumindustrie (GDA)

• Brazilian ministry of labor

• FUNDACENTRO

• Central Única do Trabalhadores (CUT),

• Quemical and metal workers federations of CUT

• IG Metall and IG Bergbau, Chemie, Energie

• City halls of São Luís, Belém, Barcarena e Oriximiná

• Audia, CVRD, HYDRO, ALBRAS, ALUNORTE, ALUMAR, MRN

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