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28 July, 2008
At the Fifth Meeting of the Brazilian national network of trade unions at Dutch-based Akzo Nobel plants from 15-17 July in São Paulo, union representatives from British-based ICI chemical facilities joined the network. Akzo Nobel recently acquired ICI.
The expansion of the network is expected to further the links of solidarity between workers of the two companies in Brazil.
The 25 union representatives present came from plants located in Recife, Santo André, Mauá, São Bernardo do Campo, Jundiaí, Itupeva, São Roque, São Paulo, Bahia, Guarulhos, and Rio de Janeiro.
The network meeting opened with a presentation by the Brazilian national centre CUT on a multinational project surrounding the ABC Chemical Workers’ Union’s Project of Life programme. That deals with the demands of life, health, and work, and introduces actions to ensure a better work environment.
The coordinator of the network, Sergio Carrasso, then delivered a report on activities of the network since its inception in 2003. That was followed by the results of a survey done by the Social Observatory Network on working conditions at Akzo Nobel.
The survey reflects a positive outcome through collective negotiations, with workers of Akzo Nobel in Brazil managing to establish better social dialogue practices in which civil rights have been guaranteed and wage differentials bridged.
ICI trade unionists attending made a presentation on their individual plants, including numbers of workers, length of work days, discrimination problems, and social dialogue and corporate social responsibility experiences.
The mid-July network meetings also served as preparation for the Third National Social Dialogue forum of Brazilian unions with Akzo Nobel. The network meeting concluded with a visit to the São Bernardo do Campo plant.
Akzo Nobel workers pledged to continue seeking contacts with workers of the company in Mexico and The Netherlands.