10 November, 2010Brazilian workers at Neodent, a company that intends to be among the world's top-five prosthetic companies by 2015, has been on strike since November 3 said the Greater Curitiba Metalworkers' Union, affiliated to the CNTM/FS
BRAZIL: The strike in Neodent occurred after the company refuses to enter into negotiation for 2010 wage increases. The union says that the company is trying to destabilize the mobilization of workers. About 15 police officers were on site during the entry of the shift in the factory on November 9. This struggle is led by the Greater Curitiba Metalworkers' Union and affiliate of IMF affiliate CNTM/FS.
Besides the wage increase, workers are demanding salary bonuses, market-value base salaries, night shift allowances and participation in profit sharing.
Neodent has branches in several Brazilian states and exports to several countries, including USA, Mexico, Portugal, Argentina and Morocco, and has representatives scattered across five continents. In 2009, the company had revenues of approximately US$150 million.
For this year it estimates that sales will reach approximately US$230 million. By 2015, the objective is Neodent be one of the five largest in the world in manufacturing of prostheses, supplying 10 per cent of the world market.