Read this article in:
21 October, 2007
Today, in São Paulo, Brazil, a country-wide network of Freudenberg workers is being launched in the rubber, chemicals, metals, and textile sectors. The meetings today and tomorrow, 23 October, will be attended by six unions and is organised by ICEM affiliate Rubber Workers Union of Brazil (FUB) and ICEM Vice President Sergio Novais.
The conference will include representatives from all six Freudenberg plants in São Paulo state, the Latin American Rubber and Tyre Workers' Federation (FUTINAL), and ICEM affiliate IGBCE from Germany. Also due to play a key role in the formation is Bernd Schneider, the secretary and chief workers’ representative from the Freudenberg European Works Council. Schneider is an IGBCE member.
Brazil is the major manufacturing country of Freudenberg in Latin America, where 1,400 company workers are employed. The German company also has manufacturing operations in Argentina, Chile, and Venezuela. The aim of the 22-23 October conference is to establish a workers’ network in Brazil, and then to expand network activities to the other Latin American countries next year.
Discussion will occur on the ICEM’s Global Framework Agreement with Freudenberg, as well as on common work aspects and problems inside the six plants. Delegates attending will also visit Freudenberg-NOK’s rubber and metals suspension plant in Diadema.
Worker representatives from that plant, as well as the company’s Klübler Lubrificantes plant in Baurueri, its Vibracoustic business in Taubaté, Brugmann business in Campinas, and textile operations in Jacareí and Novo Hamburgo will attend. Two other operations in Diadema – Freudenberg’s after-market Corteco production of rubber gaskets and seals and its Simrit auto components business, both also shared partly by Japanese-based NOK – will have worker representatives attending.
The formation of the workers’ network is getting major support and participation from the Friedrich Ebert Foundation (FES) of Germany.