6 October, 2010Brazilian trade union leader Augusto Lima was killed by a security guard on October 1. The special homicide and kidnapping unit carries out preliminary investigations.
BRAZIL: The International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) report a tragic death of Augusto Lima da Cruz, 48, a former Philips employee and leader of the IMF affiliated CNM-CUT's Metalworkers' Union of Manaus, Sindicato dos Metalúrgicos, who was shot dead on October 1 by a security guard from the security firm Visam in front of the Sony company.
According to witness testimonies the security guard Hernani Puga Neto, subcontracted by the Sony company in Distrito Industrial, fired two shots at Augusto Lima, who was distributing union materials to the company employees and then, under the cover of other guards, ran away on a motorcycle.
IMF strongly condemns the killing of Augusto Lima da Cruz and joins the ITUC urging President Lula in their letter "to take every action necessary to ensure that the murder of Augusto Lima da Cruz is fully investigated, and that those responsible at every level be identified and brought to justice."
Following the killing the company work was stopped. A special homicide and kidnapping unit DEHS is carriying out preliminary investigations. Given the unprofessional behaviour of the guards during the incident, Sony has demanded from the factory leadership an explanation on the reasons for using of outsourced guards at the factory in Manaus.