Year 1 n 07

September 2015

Internacional
International Bulletin of the Chemical Branch of CUT
In this number:
Workers will not
pay for the crisis

01

Chemical Branch
National Women's
Conference

02

IndustriALL
Women World
conference

02

Stop violence
against women!

02

No right
less! 03
Oil workers
might go on
strike

03

Parity is the
reality in Sao
Paulo CUT

04

Facing up to the
climate change

04

Brazil - Germany:
30 years of
solidarity!

04

Challenge of
Fitem is he
decent work

05

CUT launch
legislative agenda
in Congress

05

150 million
workers strike in
India

06

Jobs and living

standards at G20

06

Workers will not pay for the crisis

We are experiencing a tough situation, perhaps the toughest of the last
years. The sum of an economic crisis with a serious political crisis presents
us a contradictory situation: at the same time that we strongly defend the
permanence of president Dilma, elected with 54 million votes, we cannot
defend her proposals for the crisis. This is the dilemma that rules the current
situation.
We, from CUTs Confederation of the Chemical Branch, do not believe in
the easy situation of walking away, as many are doing: we defend the
results of the polls, since we fully believe in democracy. And we also
advocate the program of the elected president, a program that did not
sacrifice the rights and achievements of workers.
We recognize the seriousness of the crisis that began in 2008 with the
bankruptcy of financial services firm Lehman Brothers (and does this year
come a long way...), which continued with the real estate bubble in the
United States, the economic decline in Europe, the slowdown in China all
of that devaluated our products and our economic activity.
All of these years Brazil seemed to be an island of calmness in a turbulent
sea: we were able to keep and increase our jobs and wages. The deep
structural inequality of Brazilian society decreased a little. But the crisis has
reached us. Capitalism is an economic crisis subject to periodic crises there
is no way of avoiding that.
We recognize the seriousness of the crisis, but
we do not accept that the proposed measures
may be the solution to it. On the contrary: it
seems that the increase in the interest rate,
for example, compresses the economic activity
and, therefore, decreases the collection of the
government (and also increases its expenses
with interest) but isnt necessary to increase
this collection? Perhaps lower interest rats
would not foster economy in this moment of
crisis but, at least, they would decrease
expenses. Interest is only good for
speculators.
Instead of increasing taxes, as some want, wouldnt it be better to fight against
evasion, which reaches R$ 500 billion per year? Were the accounts that were
denounced of Brazilians in HSBC in Switzerland investigated? I read online that
rich Brazilians are buying, this year, more properties in Miami than last year.
Were these purchases reported to the IRS?
The elite of Brazilian public servants, from the Executive, Legislative or Judicial
branches, earn high wages and are entitled to many perks. Wouldnt it be best to
cut such benefits instead of cutting expenses with education and health?
Is decreasing salaries the only way out of the Petrobras problems?
There are many questions and we want answers for them. As we said, we are not
going to walk away Dilma, stay!, But we are not going to accept the sacrifice of
our rights and benefits.
CUTs Confederation of the Chemical Branch and our trade unions and
militants are going to continue in the fight for decent work for our workers of the
chemical branch of the Brazilian industry.

CNQ Internacional

01

Confederao Nacional do Ramo Qumico da CUT

National Meeting of Women Chemical

Branch of CUT
The Meeting of Chemical Branch of CUT
Women occurred in Cooperinca,
Cajamar - SP.
On the agenda: trade unionism,
outsourcing and feminism.
The activity is organized by the
secretary of Women Workers of CNQCUT, with the support of the FES and
h Check
S lid out
i C
AFL
the photos
of CIO
the
Meeting of Women Chemical
Branch of CUT

clique para ampliar

Forward ever backward never! IndustriALL

Women World conference
Hailed as a milestone in strengthening IndustriALL Global Union, the first Women World
Conference in Vienna saw more than 300 women trade unionists from over 60 countries unite to
address challenges facing women in the workplace. CNQ-CUT was represented by its president
Lucineide Varjo and the coordinator of the Secretariat of the Working Women Lucimar
Rodrigues.
The lively and engaging conference, which ran
from 14 to 16 September, was marked by its
inclusiveness 86 women were able to
participate in the debates which took place
across two days.
In a key outcome, the conference unanimously
passed a resolution to increase the percentage
of women in lndustriALL leadership from 30 to
40 per cent.
The proposal will be taken to IndustriALLs Congress in Rio in 2016 for inclusion in IndustriALLs
statutes.
Here it is not just a question of mere figures, but of transforming structures. If the trade union
movement is to be transformed, then women need to be encouraged to join unions, and this will
be more likely if the structures reflect the members that should be attracted, says the
resolution.
Men and women working together to organize are more successful than men working alone,
said IndustriALL general secretary, Jyrki Raina, who endorsed the resolution for a 40 per cent
quota.

Stop violence against women!

The conference endorsed a new IndustriALL campaign to stop violence against women.
Participants at the conference called for the issue to be a permanent theme of IndustriALLs
work. Affiliate unions will be encouraged to include the problem in networks and address it in
collective bargaining.
Some conference participants told compelling stories about their fight for maternity rights. Only
28 per cent of the worlds women benefit from paid maternity leave, according to the United
Nations.
Women of Chemical
Industry of the CUT at
the World Conference
on Women in 2015

Conference themes, womens health and maternity protection, are integral to other areas of
IndustriALLs programme, in particular precarious work. Unions were reminded to take to the
streets on 7 October, the World Day for Decent Work.
Conference adopted an Equality Charter and a paper on sustainability and women. The Equality
Charter outlines womens demands and outlines practical measures to achieve them.
The elections on day three confirmed Christine Olivier from NUMSA, South Africa and
Gwenne Farrell from COPE, Canada, as co-chairs of the womens committee.

CNQ Internacional

02

Confederao Nacional do Ramo Qumico da CUT

No right less!
Through an act pro-democracy, tax package is severely criticized
Officers and militants balanced defense of the presidential tenure and condemned
recessive economic measures
The goal of this act was the unified launching of wage campaigns of classes whose
data base are in this second semester, as a way of showing that the trade unions
affiliated with CUT are united in this fight for wage rises and other requests, despite
the economic and political crisis.
Above all, the protest,.
which took place in front
of the head office of FIESP
(in the picture) at Paulista
Avenue, had the goal of
advocating democracy, in
a clear position that the
tenure of president Dilma
must continue until 2018,
against the trends that
clique para ampliar
defend the interruption of
her government.
The respect for Dilmas term, elected in the end of last year with 54 million votes, was
reaffirmed by CUT. The tenure of president Dilma is legitimate, democratic and must
end in 2018, so that Brazil does not have solutions worse than this package, Vagner
Freitas affirmed to journalists. One thing is the criticism I am doing to this package,
but we are not going to tolerate a coup, he ended.
The package that was announced by Joaquim Levy, minister of Finance, ended up by
being the most commented and criticized subject of the act performed by CUT this
Tuesday morning in So Paulo.
It is regrettable. It is a recessive package, which ascribes the blame of the crisis to
workers, which goes exactly on the opposite direction of proposals that CUT has
presented, for job and income generation, so that Brazil grows again. This package
dialogues with the policies of Levy, which are policies of recession, of cuts in workers
rights and do not aim to achieve investments, Vagner Freitas, president of the trade
union Center, criticized in an interview to journalists.
The president of CUT hardly criticizes the lack of political articulation of the
government Dilma. What astonishes us once more is the lack of dialogue with
society. The government did not create one single forum to discuss the issues of
salary, social security and rights. Before implementing such forum, which would be
the right place of democratic discussion with society, the government ruled using
packages.

Oil workers might go on strike

Oil workers believe in a downtime for indefinite time against the sale of Petrobras assets
and for the recovery of work
Oil workers are still holding assemblies throughout the country, but their wage campaign
is still in a deadlock. Cibele Vieira, secretary of CNQs Department of Trade Union
Education and Policies and officer from Sindipetro-SP, predicts a general strike of the
class for indefinite time. We are heading towards a mobilization similar to the one of
1995, she affirmed, relating to the downtime of oil workers against the privatization of
the company, during the first tenure of president Fernando Henrique Cardoso.
This year, the workers of Petrobras decided not to present wage requests, and focused
their campaign on proposals of strengthening the company and protecting jobs. The class
charges the conclusion of work that already began as Comperj, the refinery Abreu &
Lima and the factory of fertilizers in the State of Mato Grosso and the recovery of
investments. Another important point of the campaign is that Petrobras does not sell part
of its investments to the private initiative.
The company announced that it intends to sell R$ 57 billion of assets. This represents
30% of its total enterprise value, Cibele emphasizes. This includes even distribution
ducts. If they are sold, Petrobras will have to pay for their use, she denounced. We
already tried everything. We handed in our agenda to the General Secretariat of the
Presidency, to president Dilma herself, to the board of directors of the company, and
nothing happened, the officer explained. (Flaviana Serafim and Isaas Dalle, CUTs press)

CNQ Internacional

03

Confederao Nacional do Ramo Qumico da CUT

Parity is the reality in CUT Sao Paulo

Breaking machismo and celebrating the equality, women update the historic
achievement and begin to occupy 50% of seats on the executive board of CUT So
Paulo.
Parity with 50% of women and men in the CUT Sao Paulo marks a milestone in the
largest trade union in Latin America, and is the result of much struggle guided by a
collective process in which men and women came together for the equality. The measure
becomes an example for other unions in Brazil and in the world.
New Secretary of Working Women, Ana Lucia Firmino, Union of So Paulo Nurses, talks
about the challenges of the coming period. With the current political situation will be
many challenges for the labor movement in Brazil that has always been very macho.
Besides the problems of the working world, we have national and institutional
challenges she says. (Flavio Serafim - CUT-SP)

Facing up to the climate change

Climate change threatens everything the labour movement stands for: fairness; social justice;
decent work. Ahead of the upcoming 21st Conference of the Parties to the United Nations
Framework Commission on Climate Change (COP21), global trade union leaders met in Paris to
solidify their demands.
On 15 16 September, global trade union leaders met with French foreign minister Laurent
Fabius, who will preside over COP21. They also discussed their demands at the Trade Union
Climate Summit, organized by the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC).
Three essential demands were identified:
raise ambition and realise job potential of climate action;
deliver on climate finance and support the most vulnerable;
commit to securing a Just Transition for workers and their communities.
Brian Kohler, IndustriALL Global Union director of sustainability, said:
A global industrial transformation is coming and it will come whether a deal is reached at
COP21, or whether we fail once again to take effective action. The casino economy has no
answers to these questions. We must lead no-one else will do so in planning a hopeful
future for all workers, including those in industries that may be impacted by efforts to limit
greenhouse gases. It is simple social justice.
Just Transition is simple. Workers, their families, their communities and their unions should be
kept whole in terms of incomes, social benefits, and opportunities. The entire cost of changes
to protect the environment should not be borne by working people and the worlds most
vulnerable; but in the absence of a Just Transition program, that is exactly who will pay the
price.
In the industrial transformation ahead, the public policy question who pays for, and who
benefits from, a transition to sustainability. And the social outcomes will depend on the social
and industrial policies adopted.
The science is unequivocal. The need for action is clear, and urgent. Kohler continues:
We cant bargain with the laws of physics and we are out of time. Climate change threatens
everything the labour movement stands for: fairness; social justice; decent work. Any
agreement coming out of COP21 will not be the final word but only the start of a journey.

Brazil - Germany: 30 years of solidarity

See photos of the first day of activities of the exchange between workers of chemistry in
Brazil and Germany to mark the 30th anniversary of the solidarity among peers.
This exchange and solidarity are
fundamental for workers of the
CUT chemical industry. We have,
today, important international
relationships with employees
from countries in Europe, Latin
America and the United States,
which is necessary for the whole
working class that, after all, it is
an international class.
The photos are from brother Hans-Jrgen Koch.

CNQ Internacional

See more photos

04

Confederao Nacional do Ramo Qumico da CUT

Challenge of Fitem is defending decent work in

mining companies
Through a confirmed trade union representation text, federation of mine workers will
represent the class in seven Brazilian States (Rio de Janeiro, Bahia, Par, Amazonas,
Sergipe, Pernambuco and Minas Gerais).
After four years since it was founded, the National Federation of Mineral Extraction Workers
of Brazil (Fitem) wrote a trade union representation text and achieved legitimacy to
represent a grassroots with nearly 40 thousand workers.
With a provisory board of directors until
November, when the definite board will
be elected through a congress scheduled
for November 10, 11 and 12, in So
Paulo, it is up to Fitem to negotiate with
Vale do Rio Doce, a challenge that,
according to Jorge Campos, president of
the federation, demands strengthening of
the class in unified campaigns.

This federation is a result of a battle that we have been fighting since 1992, to organize
the sector and strengthen trade unions. There is a series of issues that we must deal,
wages under minimum standards, for example, she denounced.
Lucineide Varjo, president of CNQ-CUT, explained that the approach of mining workers
enabled the idea of finding alternatives for the strengthening of the fight of the class
and, naturally, caused a rebuilding of Fitem, which did not exist with this name and
acted without the importance of a federation. After that, the confederation created a
mining sector, deepened the dialogue with trade unions and, supported by CUT,
managed to get Fitem to rise again.
At first, Fitem already has the challenge of facing setbacks that occur in the Project of a
Mining Code, which establishes new rules for the exploration of minerals in this country.
The way it has been discussed, it gets worse than it already is. We are changing a
1967 law, and this is a major opportunity to open the debate with society. But the new
legislation does not deal with essential points, such as adding more value to the raw
material we export, Rosival Arajo, Mining Secretary of CNQR, explained. (Luiz
Carvalho)

CUT launches legislative agenda in the National Congress

The Legislative Agenda of CUT for Labor Relations is considered extremely important in
this situation of ostensible attack against workers rights at the Congress. The pressure
for more flexible rights has been growing over the last years, the House of
Representatives, at the moment, is the place where this movement can be seen
clearer...
This action of CUT also represents a counterpoint
to the Agenda Brazil, presented as a solution to
the political and economic crisis, with proposals to
increase the minimum wage to retire, reconcile
the demarcation of Native American lands with
productive activities, charging a share of SUS
(health system) services, regulating outsourcing
to guarantee juridical security to businessmen,
among others.

Graa Costa said the ban is

Cunha's retaliation for criticism

The launching, which was scheduled for September 2, at 2:00 P.M., at the noble room
of the House of Representatives, was cancelled by Eduardo Cunha, speaker of the
house, who, in another arbitrary act, determined that holding events involving trade
union institutions is prohibited within the House.

Agenda Legislativa
para as Relaes de
Trabalho

CNQ Internacional

However, through an initiative of senator Paulo Paim, this activity was transferred to the
Commission of Human Rights of the Senate and became a public hearing. Graa Costa,
CUTs Secretary of Labor Relationships, used this opportunity once more to denounce
the lousy treatment that workers have been receiving at the House of Representatives
since Eduardo Cunha became its speaker. (Jacy Afonso de Melo, CUTs National
Secretary of Trade Union Organization)

05

Confederao Nacional do Ramo Qumico da CUT

150 million workers strike in India

Millions of workers from all sectors joined Indias largest strike on 2 September.
Demonstrators were protesting against proposed labour reforms which will in practice
make it easier to fire workers.
The decision to call for a nation-wide strike was taken at a National Convention of
Workers called by the national trade union centres in May. Rallies were held all over
India, seeing an estimated 150 million workers on the streets after trade union talks with
the government broke down.

The trade unions had presented a charter of 12 demands, including a strong stance
against the anti-worker proposed amendments to labour laws, a new minimum wage, the
end to contract labour in permanent perennial work and payment of same wage and
benefits for contract workers as regular workers for similar work, strict enforcement of all
basic labour laws, universal social security cover for all workers, compulsory registration
of trade unions within a period of 45 days from the date of submitting applications, as
well as immediate ratification of ILO Convention 87 and 98.
Assistant general secretary of IndustriALL Global Union, Fernando Lopes, participated in a
mass meeting of workers at Faridabad in support of the strike. He also attended the
meetings and mass rallies in Odisha and Jharkhand to express solidarity.
IndustriALL applauds the unified action and stands together with the workers of India.
The strike will not only determine the future of Indian working class, but also will have a
wide impact on the other part of the world.
Solidarity messages were sent by several affiliates of IndustriALL including Pakistan and
the United States. Benjamin Davis from the United Steelworkers, USA also participated in
the mass meeting. Sharan Burrow, General Secretary of ITUC expressed her solidarity,
stating the ITUC and its affiliates all over the world will continue to support Indian
workers in their every struggle to end the anti- labour reforms in India.

Jobs and living standards at G20

Labour 20 and Business 20 signed an ambitious agreement calling on governments to unleash
the full potential of the G20 as an engine for growth. The agreement aims to bring more
people into jobs, and improve working conditions.
Sharan Burrow, General Secretary International Trade Union Confederation said if followed up
on, it has the potential to be the strongest agreement since the B20 and the L20 began
working together as social partners with the G20.
The agreement is based on the need for employment and the dignity of decent work. If you
dont have workers with income, who buy products, you have nothing.
New IMF figures show that growth is further slowing down, so that the G20 growth target for
2018 is lagging behind with a 3 per cent gap.
Seven years after Lehmans collapse, markets remain fragile, growth is anemic and millions
of people are without jobs. The fuel of mankind is hope and when there is no hope it is very
hard to survive. Employment is hope and we have to keep this hope alive.
Jobs, Growth
and Decent
Work

CNQ Internacional

Its not governments who are responsible for the world of work its us and if we share a
set of values about the way in which we want our sons and daughters to be treated, if we
share a set of ambitious about productivity and growth we want to see distributed through
social dialogue and collective bargaining, underpinned by minimum wages on which people
can live, then we can make a difference, said Sharan Burrow.

06

International Bulletin of the Chemical Branch of CUT

Board 2013-2017

Directors
(in alphabetical order)
President
Lucineide Varjo Soares
Adilma Oliveira da Silva Pereira, Alex Ricardo Fonseca, Antonio
Felipe Goulart, Aurlio Antnio de Medeiros, Cacilda de Paula
Oliveira, Cairo Garcia Corra, Carlos Alberto Mota Itaparica,
Carlos Alberto Soares Padilha, Cibele Izidorio Fogaa Vieira, Dalva
Lcio de Oliveira, Edielson Souza Santos, Fbio Augusto Lins,
Francisco Brito de Freitas, Geralcino Santana Teixeira, Gildsio
Silva Ribeiro de Souza, Itamar Jos Rodrigues Sanches, Jocemir
Ribeiro Monteiro, Jorge Alves de Pinho, Jos Isaac Gomes, Jos
Maria dos Santos Nascimento, Jos Pinheiro Almeida Lima, Letcia
Aida Silva Queiroz, Luciano Jos da Silva, Lucimar Rodrigues da
Silva, Lucola Conceio dos Santos Semio, Mrcio de Paula Cruz,
Maria Aparecida Arajo do Carmo, Paulo Antnio Lage, Paulo de
Souza Bezerra, Ronaldo Rodrigues de Lima, Rosalina da Silva,
Rosival Ferreira de Arajo, Severino Amaro do Nascimento,
Sergio Novais, Silvaney Bernardi, Tnia Andrea Lisboa, Valdeli dos
Santos Guimares, Vandr Jernimo da Silva

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CNQ-CUT International Bulletin of the Chemical Branch of CUT

CNQ Internacional

07