To the Syndical Leaders of the Aerospace Industries around the world
Comrades,
We went to you set in the spirit and in the resolutions of the 35th Congress of the Workers in Metallurgy, of the General Confederation of the Workers from France, accomplished in March of 1997; of " First - IMF Working Group on Airframe Manufactures " accomplished in Montreal in November of 1998 and of " Rencontre Mondiale de L'Aeronautique et du Spatial " accomplished in Paris, in October of 1998, of the which we participated.
In all these encounters there was a consent among the delegates in "developing the whole strategies addressed to defend the workers' rights and of the unions". It was considered that "the Aeronautical and Space Industry, for its high technology, its strategic, economic and social weight is in the heart of the essential engagements", what it implies for the workers in the "responsibility of contemplating, in order to create common answers, to build international initiatives and to propose alternative answers to the dominant logic".
So, we requested your solidarity to combat the violent offensive of the Brazilian Company of Aeronautics - Embraer, against the level of its workers' life, against the labourite and syndical organization, and, even, against the right of freedom and expression.
To maintain the expenses cut down in the wages that are being made since its privatization in 94 and to develop the productivity and profitability greater each time, Embraer has decided to declare a true war against the workers and their syndical organization.
On the 5th of November of this year an Assembly was accomplished in the entrance of the company, driven by the Union, to discuss the pertinent subjects to the Salary Campaign, that has as date base November 01. As Result of this Assembly, it had the delay of 1 (one) hour in the workers' schedule.
The following day, November 06, the company distributed 426 Letters of Warning to the workers that participated in the assembly (enclosed), where, implicitly, threatened with dismissals the whole ones that tried to fight to get better wages or better work conditions. Followed act, dismissed 30 workers that had also participated on the Assembly.
Moreover, the direction of Embraer hired a specialized company of safety with the objective of intimidating the workers, and it installed inside of all the partitions of the factory and of the office about 300 cameras, some of the which were verified by an inspection of the Ministry of Work, at the request of the Union. Reminding the old style of Fascist concentration fields.
And, finally, all the works of the syndical leaders in the entrances of the company, be of agitation, distribution of materials or simple chats, are monitored by the Military Police, led by the direction of the company, as if this was a private repression machine.
On account of these steps of Embraer, larger Brazilian exporter, in agreement with information disclosed by the press, it has arrived at the month of October of this year with 7.856 workers, a gross revenue in the same period of US$1,7 billion and a net profit of US$185 million.
It is also this same arbitrary and repressing company that, recently, has associated to companies of great international load like Dassault Aviation, Aerospatiale Matra, Snecma and Thomson CSF, besides having as partners Spanish Gamesa, Belgian Sonaca, Chilean Enaer and American C&D.
In spite of its fantastic profitability, the employees of Embraer have been having their wages lowered year-round, according to reports of the Vice-presidency of Development and Organization of the company. According to the report: "as reference, the medium wage of the head office of São José dos Campos in December of 1995, was of 2.137 dollars; in December of 1996 it was of 2.033 dollars and in December of 1997 it was of 1.834 dollars. Considering the controlled, the medium wage at the end of the year of 98 met in 1.480 dollars and now it meets among 600 to 700 dollars, besides " trainees ", executing activities in the production of airplanes, earning about 200 dollars.
With determination, also as the report affirms, Embraer intends to guarantee its profits through "industrial productivity gains and reduction of the operational medium wages".
Fellows, what Embraer is accomplishing with its workers and with the Union of the Metallurgists from São José dos Campos is an insult and an attack to the workers and the syndical movement group, particularly to the Aeronautical and Space Industries around the world.
Therefore, it is inadmissible that, by the century XXI there are still companies that prioritize the reduction of wages, work and social conditions, and use Fascist methods, instead of betting in the innovation and in the quality through the human investment and respect to the workers' rights.
In this sense we request:
1 - To inform the group of the syndical movement of your countries, as well as to all its bases of performance, what the Brazilian Company of Aeronautics, Embraer, is doing with its workers.
2 - That a release is sent to the direction of Embraer from its union, federation or central syndical, protesting against this attack (it can base on the enclosed text and please send a copy to our Union).
3 - To send delegations so that we can accomplish manifestations of international stamp in front the entrances of the company in defense of the the workers' organization and syndical action in the fight for better wages and life conditions.
We thank in advance,
certain of being assisted
Union of the Metallurgists from São José of Campos and Area - CUT (Workers Unique Center)
Dear Sir
We used of the present release, to warn you in writing, on account of your Lordship to have delayed on starting your functional activities on November 04, 1.999, without legal justification, communication or authorization.
In that date, the syndical leaders, made use of strips and human barrier, intercepting the entrance of the 2nd shift employees for a certain period of time, until the company intervened and the employees' access was normalized. And even after the the situation was normalized, your Lordship refused to enter the company and begin your work day.
Acts of this nature, besides being contrary to the norms of the company, harm the good course of the normal works considerably.
We hope your Lorship become aware of the need to avoid and modify such procedure, making it clear that, if in any case it doesn't happen, we will be forced to take more severe measures, which we would esteem if avoided.
Please enclose your "aware" on the copy of document
Respectfully,
Personal Administration manager
Aware: _______________________________________________
]
To the Direction of the
Brazilian company of Aeronautics - Embraer
We became aware, through accusations of the Union of the Metallurgists from São José of Campos that this Brazilian company, has been maintaining a brutal expenses cut down in its workers' wages since its privatization in 94 and it has decided to declare a true war against the workers and its syndical organization.**
That on the 5th of November of this year an Assembly was accomplished in the entrance of the company, driven by the Union, to discuss the pertinent subjects to the Salary Campaign, that has as date base November 01. As Result of this Assembly it had the delay of 1 (a) hour in the workers' entrance.
That on the following day, November 06, the company distributed 426 Letters of Warning to the workers that participated in the assembly (enclosed), where, implicitly, threatened with dismissals the whole ones that tried to fight to get better wages or better work conditions. Followed act, it dismissed 30 workers that had also participated of the Assembly.
Moreover, the direction of Embraer hired a specialized company of safety with the objective of intimidating the workers, and it installed inside of all the partitions of the factory and of the office about 300 cameras, some of the which were verified by an inspection of the Ministry of Work, at the request of the Union. Reminding the old style of Fascist concentration fields.
And, finally, all the works of the syndical leaders in the entrances of the company, be of agitation, distribution of materials or simple chats, are monitored by the Military Police, led by the direction of the company, as if this was a private repression machine.
On account of these steps of Embraer, larger Brazilian exporter, in agreement with information disclosed by the press, it has arrived at the month of October of this year with 7.856 workers, a gross revenue in the same period of US$1,7 billion and a net profit of US$185 million.
It is also this same arbitrary and repressing company that, recently, has associated to companies of great international load like Dassault Aviation, Aerospatiale Matra, Snecma and Thomson CSF, besides having as partners Spanish Gamesa, Belgian Sonaca, Chilean Enaer and American C&D.
In spite of its fantastic profitability, the employees of Embraer have been having their wages lowered year-round, according to reports of the Vice-presidency of Development and Organization of the company itself. According to the report: "as reference, the medium wage of the head office of São José of Campos in December of 1995, was of 2.137 dollars; in December of 1996 it was of 2.033 dollars and in December of 1997 it was of 1.834 dollars. Considering the controlled, the medium wage at the end of the year of 98 met in 1.480 dollars and now it meets among 600 to 700 dollars, besides " trainees ", executing activities in the production of airplanes, earning about 200 dollars.
With determination, also as the report affirms, Embraer intends to guarantee its profits through "industrial productivity gains and reduction of the operational medium wages".
It's inadmissible that, by the century of XXI, there are still companies that prioritize the reduction of wages, work and social conditions, and use Fascist methods, instead of betting in the innovation and in the quality through the human investment and respect to the workers’ rights.
In this sense, we want to persent our vehement protest and repudiation to such attitudes, and expect that these intimidating and embarrassing actions realized against workers, stop immediately!