11 September, 2007IMF commends Gerdau for raising funds for people affected by the recent earthquake in Peru, but calls on the company to also stop the anti-trade union practices it adopts in Peru and Colombia.
PERU: In an open letter to workers at Gerdau S.A. Group, the International Metalworkers' Federation commended Gerdau for its decision to encourage employees to contribute to victims of the massive earthquake that recently hit Peru and the company's commitment to contribute twice the amount raised by its employees. However, the IMF also calls on the company to extend this act of social responsibility by ending the anti-trade union practices it adopts in Peru and Colombia.
On August 15 a massive magnitude-8 earthquake devastated cities in Peru's southern desert. Hundreds of people died and many thousands more were affected by the disaster. The earthquake was centred at the oasis city of Ica and the nearby port of Pisco, about 125 miles southeast of the capital, Lima.
Immediately after disaster struck individuals, social organisations, trade unions, religious organisations and companies began collecting medicines, food, clothes and building materials to help the victims and to try to reconstruct the affected areas. Trade union organisations across Latin America also expressed solidarity with workers and people affected by the earthquake in Peru.
In the specific case of Gerdau, which has a steelworks in Chimbote and offices in Lima, none of its employees were affected by the earthquake. However, two families of workers died during the disaster. In response, Gerdau issued a message to all its employees calling on them to contribute to the campaign to raise funds for earthquake relief, with the company committing to contribute twice the amount raised by its own employees in Peru.
A copy of IMF's open letter to Gerdau employees is published on the IMF website in English, Spanish and Portuguese.