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5 November, 2007
Latin America serves as the second largest production and marketing area for Italian-based Pirelli, the world’s fifth largest tyre-making firm. With production units in Brazil, Argentina, and Venezuela, it was little wonder that the region`s rubberworkers’ unions would get together to form a network of workers.
That inaugural event took place on 25 October in Praia Grande, São Paulo, Brazil. Workers’ representatives numbering 25 launched the regional network that includes these trade unions: Rubber, Tyre and Related Industries Workers` Union (FUB) of Brazil, Tyre Workers Union of Argentina (SUTNA), Bahia Rubber Workers Union of Brazil, and the São Paulo Rubber Workers’ Union of Brazil.
The meeting also welcomed Fabrizio Rigoldi, responsible secretary of the Lombardia Region of ICEM Italian affiliate, UILCEM. It also featured Kemal Özkan, ICEM`s Rubber Industry Officer, who presented the company`s general economic situation. Özkan gave a special report on union representation at the subsidiaries of Pirelli throughout the world.
The network elected FUB Vice President Márcio Ferreira of Brazil as coordinator of the network. The network will meet again next year, and between now and then it will focus on exchange of information, such as health and safety data, collective agreements, and contract and agency labour trends and data.
Following the day-long regional network formation, the group visited the Pirelli tyre plant in Santo Andre and met with company management. Employing some 2,000 workers, the Santo Andre plant, in 1941, was Pirelli’s first investment outside of Europe.