Year 1 n 06

august 2015

Internacional
International Bulletin of the Chemical Branch of CUT

In this number:
On the streets for
rights, freedom
and democracy!

01

It is the seed you

planted that
brought us here

02

In defense of
Decent Work in
the Chemical
Industry

02

GrafTech on
strike against
anti-unionist
practices
FUP prepares
September strike

03

03

Nine years of the

Maria da Penha
law

04

International
Decade for People
of African
Descent

04

IndustriALL
responds to the
mining crisis

05

Fatality at Gerdau
Uruguay

05

Energy,
Education and
Industry

06

Database of
substances
RISCTOX

06

August 20: On the streets for rights,

freedom and democracy!
CNQ is active throughout the country in acts of August 20: In Defense of
Democracy, of Rights and Freedom!
Acts in defense of democracy mark the day in more than 30 cities
Social movements gather in the main State capitals of the country to avert
coups and the fiscal adjustment, and demand the withdrawal of Eduardo
Cunha
Against the Fiscal
Adjustment! Against the
reduction of age of criminal
responsibility! Against the
conservative agenda!
In Sao Paulo, about 100,000
working men and women took
to the streets.

Against the coup! Let the rich pay

for the crisis!
In So Paulo, the public act for rights,
freedom and democracy, called by the
National Confederation of the
Chemical Branch (CNQ), by the
Unified Workers Central (CUT)
and by more than 50 institutions of
the civil society, gathered 100
thousand workers.

Photo by Cybele Vieira, Secretary of Trade Union

Training and Policy of CNQ

The economic policy of the government throws the bill on the back of the people.
Instead of attacking labor rights, of cutting social investments and increasing
interest rates, we advocate that the government adjust the bills on the richest
population, taxing huge fortunes, dividends remittance of profits, besides an
auditing of the public debt (from the Manifesto of the organizers).

Protesters take to the

streets throughout
Brazil for democracy

CNQ Internacional

Workers were mobilized in defense of democracy, of freedom and of rights and

took it to the streets in at least 31 cities throughout Brazil. Demonstrations
condemn the coup protests of last Sunday, criticize the government Dilma for
the fiscal adjustment, which affects the government of its grassroots and put the
social achievements of last years at risk, and ask for the withdrawal of deputy
Eduardo Cunha (PMDB party Rio de Janeiro State) as speaker of the House of
Representatives.
"Eduardo Cunha represents a setback and an attack
against democracy. He transformed the House of
Representatives into a House of Intolerance and
removal of rights. We are against the conservative
and anti-popular agenda imposed by the Congress:
Outsourcing, reduction of age of criminal
responsibility, political reform and the delivery of
the pre-salt layer to foreign companies. We defend
a 100% State owned Petrobras (from the Manifesto
of the organizers)..

01

Confederao Nacional do Ramo Qumico da CUT

Margaridas Womens March

It is the seed you planted that brought us here

Chemical branch of CUT went to Brasilia to participate in the March of Margaridas
(Daisies) 2015, which had Lula in the opening and president Dilma in the closing
For the fifth time, this march colored Brasilia on August 12. Nearly 70 thousand people
participated in the activity that had its opening on August 11, at the Man Garrincha
Stadium, with the presence of the ex-president Lula.

CNQ was present

Leaders from the chemical branch of CUT attended

the activity with the delegations of their trade union
institutions.

Margaridas
Womens March

Margarida (Daisy in Portuguese) Alves was

murdered in front of her children and husband in
front of her house by a hitman. Through a speech to
workers three months before she died, she said it
was better to die in the fight than to die of starvation.
This is the story of the woman who inspires the
March of the Daisies! And we are here because we
will march until everyone is free, Lucineide Varjo,
president of CNQ stressed
In front of the Congress
building, the march leaders
performed an act of
repudiation against the
approval of projects reducing
women's participation in
politics and they demanded
commitment to projects that
improve the conditions of life
and work in the field.
On Wednesday afternoon, August 12th, Brazils President, Dilma Rousseff speak to marchers
at Brasilias soccer stadium, Mane Garrincha.

In defense of Decent Work in the Chemical Industry

Lucineide Varjo, president of the National Confederation of the Chemical Branch
of CUT, presented the demands of workers with Abiquim and with the Chemical
Parliamentarian Front, in Brasilia.
During the lunch of representatives of Trade Union of Workers and of the Chemical
Parliamentarian Front promoted by the Brazilian Association of the Chemical Industry
(Abiquim), the president of CNQ-CUT defended the demands of the workers for the
National Program of Gas, which was presented.
She saluted the initiative of congressman Davidson Magalhes (PCdoB party/Bahia
State), coordinator of Gas of the Front and idealizer of the Program, emphasizing the
importance of recovering the investments of the sector, but recalling that decent work is
essential to reach a developed Brazil.
The Chemical Parliamentarian Front was relaunched in the current legislative term this
April. Presided by congressman Paulo Pimenta (PT party/Rio Grande do Sul State), the
Front has as its main goal improving federal public policies to restore the competitiveness
of the productive chain of the chemical, petrochemical and plastic sectors.
The Parliamentarian Front, composed by a great number of deputies and senators, both
from the government quarter as from the opposition, performs activities that are
important for the promotion of employment in the chemical industry and for the
development of Brazil.
To Lucineide Varjo, president of CNQ, the Parliamentarian Front advanced in its goals
with the inclusion of trade unions of workers in the debate. Due to the current situation
of closing job positions, it is essential to invest in the sector. Workers want high quality
jobs, with decent work, professional qualification, less turnover and less outsourcing in all
the petrochemical productive chain. And we advocate, of course, the leading role and
participation of Petrobras in all the process.

CNQ Internacional

02

Confederao Nacional do Ramo Qumico da CUT

GrafTech on strike against anti-unionist practices

The occupation of the multinational company GrafTech, in Candeias, 51 km away from
Salvador, continues.
Directors of Sindiqumica occupied the factory on August 17 after the Police tried to curb the
strike that already lasts 11 days. The president of GrafTech called the police to hit unionists,
this action was denounced by the union under the command of the corporation.
Since August 07, workers of GrafTech are on strike in protest
against anti-unionist and moral harassment practices frequently
committed by the multinational company. In July, two
employees were fired, one of them, Pedro Alves dos Santos, is
also director of the union, the other was member of the Internal
Committee for Accident Prevention (CIPA).

Firing our colleagues is illegal and an insult to the union,

because they are entitled to employment stability. The
Consolidation of Labor Laws guarantees the participation of
workers both in the union as in the Cipa without being punished
for that. We tried a dialogue with the board of directors for the
reintegration of workers, but nothing advanced, Carlos Itaparica,
director of Sindiquimica, affirmed.
Besides the constant presence of the police in the facilities, union officers are
threatened by the administration of GrafTech. On August 08, around 2 P.M., the
president of the multinational company made serious threats on the telephone to
three officers from Sindiqumica, which are also employees of GrafTech.

click to enlarge

GrafTech, in Candeias, 51
km away from Salvador

The trade union promised to send an accusation against GrafTech for anti-unionist
and moral harassment practices to the International Labor Organization (ILO) and, in
Bahia, to the Prosecutors Office for the attacks to the organization of labor and trade
union freedom. Another issue to be considered, according to Itaparica, is the fact
that the dismissals occurred next to the campaign for better pay of the class, which
was anticipated to August. There is a commitment of the employers union (Sinpeq),
which GrafTech is part of, preventing dismissals during the negotiation process of the
request campaign. The company disrespected this commitment and fired two
employees.

FUP prepares strike in defence of Petrobras

The oil workers federation, FUP/CUT, affiliated to CNQ-CUT and IndustriALL Global
Union, is organizing action to prevent the privatization of Petrobras. It held a 24hour strike on 24 July and is planning another strike in September.
Metalworkers, especially those
working in this industry,
construction workers and contract
oil workers are already suffering
the consequences of the
dismantling of the national oil
industry. Thousands of jobs have
been lost, construction projects
have been put on hold and
investments suspended, said
FUP/CUT in a press release
published on its website.
The union federation said it will begin an indefinite strike in September if there
is not a positive response to its 24-hour strike. It opposes proposed changes in
legislation that aim to remove Petrobras exclusive rights to exploit the PreSalt oilfields..
Fernando Lopes, Assistant General Secretary of IndustiALL Global Union said
that:
Petrobras is essential for the countrys development: the royalties it generates
should continue to be used to fund free quality public health and education.
The struggle to keep Petrobras in the public sector is not just a struggle of oil
workers, it is a struggle of the entire Brazilian people.".

CNQ Internacional

03

Confederao Nacional do Ramo Qumico da CUT

Sharing hug marks nine years of the Maria da

Penha law
The 6th Sharing Hug for Women under Violence Situation was held in Sao Paulo, on
August 7, in front of the Law College of the University of Sao Paulo, located in
downtown Sao Paulo.

This hug marks nine years of the Maria da Penha law: a relevant, comprehensive,
important law to Brazil and an international reference, though many of its elements
did not have a practical application, not fulfilling, this way, the role of preventing
and tackling violence against women.
The mobilization of the sharing hug tried to draw the attention on the need of
implementing the Maria da Penha law in practice, fulfilling all defined guarantees
and protective measures.
Lucimar Rodrigues, in charge of CNQs Department of the Working Woman,
followed the activity that was held by the Union of Women of So Paulo, by Popular
Legal Promoters and Maria Marias, with the support of the State Secretariat of the
Working Woman of CUT So Paulo.

International Decade for People of African

Descent
There are around 200 million people identifying themselves as being of African descent live
in the Americas. Many millions more live in other parts of the world, outside of the African
continent.
Whether as descendants of the victims of the transatlantic slave trade or as more recent
migrants, they constitute some of the poorest and most marginalized groups. Studies and
findings by international and national bodies demonstrate that people of African descent
still have limited access to quality education, health services, housing and social security.
In many cases, their situation remains largely invisible, and insufficient recognition and
respect has been given to the efforts of people of African descent to seek redress for their
present condition. They all too often experience discrimination in their access to justice,
and face alarmingly high rates of police violence, together with racial profiling.
The International Decade for People of
African Descent, proclaimed by General
Assembly resolution 68/237 and to be
observed from 2015 to 2024, provides a
solid framework for the United Nations,
Member States, civil society and all other
relevant actors to join together with
people of African descent and take
effective measures for the
implementation of the programme of
activities in the spirit of recognition,
justice and development.
It is also a unique opportunity to build on the International Year for People of African
Descent, which was observed by the international community in 2011, and to further
underline the important contribution made by people of African descent to our societies
and to propose concrete measures to promote their full inclusion and to combat racism,
racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance.

CNQ Internacional

04

Confederao Nacional do Ramo Qumico da CUT

IndustriALL responds to the mining and metals

crisis
IndustriALL Global Union is shocked and alarmed at the massive jobs bloodbath
unfolding in the mining and metals sector, ostensibly as a result of the plunge in
commodity prices. The global scale of the massive lay-offs and job cuts is
unprecedented.
The mining and metals global sector came out of the financial crisIs of 2008 to 2012
unscathed. In the midst of the global recession in 2008, induced by the global
financial crisis, the mining industry experienced a commodities boom. The boom was
largely fuelled by the growth of China and India and created an unprecedented
demand for coal, mineral resources and precious stones. Against the background of
the financial crises, mining companies outperformed the overall market. Most mining
companies came through the crises with robust balance sheets..
Paradoxically, mine
workers did not benefit
from the boom. Any
benefits in mineworkers
conditions of
employment, in mainly
wages and salaries, were
the results of blood,
sweat, tears, toiling
through tough and often
brutal collective
Boom times could not last forever and the party ended when China and Indias
economies began to slow down and even began to contract. Not surprisingly, workers
are expected to brace themselves for hard times and take the brunt for the collapsing
commodity prices, even though they have had no hand in the unfolding tragedy of job
losses and massive lay-offs as these companies embark on massive cost containment
measures.
IndustriALL Global Union is calling on the mining industry to act responsibly in these
difficult times for mine workers and their families. Our affiliates are reporting disturbing
trends that mining companies, in their haste to reduce costs, undermine trade unions by
approaching and coercing individual workers to accept voluntary retrenchments.

Fatality at Gerdau plant in Uruguay

Nery Alvarez was killed in a workplace accident at the Gerdau-Laisa steel plant in
Uruguay on 14 July. IndustriALL Global Union extends its sincerest condolences to his
family and colleagues..
Alvarez, 48, had worked for the company for 26 years. The Gerdau Workers World
Council sent its condolences to his family and colleagues at this sad time.
Fernando Lopes, Assistant General Secretary of Industriall Global Union and a member
of the World Council said:
We reiterate that Gerdau must end its anti-trade union stance and establish a channel
for discussion with the Gerdau Workers World Council. It must have a serious discussion
about safety at its plants and be more considerate to its workers and their families. We
call on the authorities to carry out a health and safety inspection of the plant and work
with the union to investigate the accident so that those responsible are punished and so
that the company takes preventive and corrective measures to avoid other workers
losing their lives in Gerdau plants.

CNQ Internacional

05

Confederao Nacional do Ramo Qumico da CUT

Energy, Education and Industry

CNQ presents situation of the chemical industry in a seminar on energy
This activity, which was organized by the Workmen and Peasant Platform for
Energy, searches for a strategy to strengthen the fight in popular sectors
The National Seminar Energy, Education and Industry in Brazil took place on August
18 and 19, and it was organized by the Workmen and Peasant Platform for Energy, it
had the participation of FUP, of CNQ and CNM (CUTs National Confederation of
Metallurgists) in the discussions on the industrial development in the country with a
higher generation of employment and income.
This event took place at the Casa das Irms, in the Ipiranga neighborhood, in So
Paulo. The following officers represented CNQ: Itamar Sanches (secretarygeneral); Silvaney Bernardi (regional secretary of the south) and Cibele
Izidorio (secretary of trade union education and politics).
In this delicate moment that our country is going through, it is essential that there
is organization of the working class. We have to think together in strategies that
guarantee the strengthening of our fight, involving wide popular sectors of society,
Cibele Vieira, who is coordinator of the Unified Sindpetro SP, affirmed.
According to representatives of the Movement of Impacted People in Dams
MAB, we must take the task of stimulating a strategic process of fight, which
articulated the issues of energy, in defense of Petrobras and the Brazilian oil, for
changes of the electric model, with the use of resources of these sectors especially for
education, the industrial development in the country, with a higher generation of jobs
and possible income redistribution.
The Workmen and Peasant Platform for Energy was created in 2010, after an
articulation between electricians, oil workers and engineers, who were hit by dams
and farmers, with the proposal of creating a space of dialogue and articulation of
fights to advance in a popular project.

Database of hazardous substances RISCTOX

RISCTOX is a database of hazardous substances developed to provide clear, organized
and concise information about health and environmental risks caused by chemicals
contained in products generally used or handled by companies..

Do you want to know more on a

specific substance you are using at
your workplace?
Do you want clear available
information on its impacts on your
health and the environment?
Do not search anymore! ISTAS CCOO can help you out.
RISCTOX database provides information on over 100,000 chemical agents in files which
include data on:
Classification of the substance according to Regulation 1272/2008 (CLP)
Specific health risks
Specific environmental risks
Environmental and health-related regulations

Database of
hazardous
substances
RISCTOX

CNQ Internacional

Search criteria include the name of the substance or some of its identification numbers
(CAS, EC; EINECS / ELINCS, Index No). Different lists of risks or regulations available
can also be used as search standards.
RISCTOX also provides policy advice and links to related regulations. Access this
information by clicking on the help icon ayuda on the left corner of each list of
substances. These files also contain information on the sources used to develop the
lists.

06

International Bulletin of the Chemical Branch of CUT

Board 2013-2017

Directors
(in alphabetical order)
President
Lucineide Varjo Soares
Adilma Oliveira da Silva Pereira, Alex Ricardo Fonseca, Antonio
Felipe Goulart, Aurlio Antnio de Medeiros, Cacilda de Paula
Oliveira, Cairo Garcia Corra, Carlos Alberto Mota Itaparica,
Carlos Alberto Soares Padilha, Cibele Izidorio Fogaa Vieira, Dalva
Lcio de Oliveira, Edielson Souza Santos, Fbio Augusto Lins,
Francisco Brito de Freitas, Geralcino Santana Teixeira, Gildsio
Silva Ribeiro de Souza, Itamar Jos Rodrigues Sanches, Jocemir
Ribeiro Monteiro, Jorge Alves de Pinho, Jos Isaac Gomes, Jos
Maria dos Santos Nascimento, Jos Pinheiro Almeida Lima, Letcia
Aida Silva Queiroz, Luciano Jos da Silva, Lucimar Rodrigues da
Silva, Lucola Conceio dos Santos Semio, Mrcio de Paula Cruz,
Maria Aparecida Arajo do Carmo, Paulo Antnio Lage, Paulo de
Souza Bezerra, Ronaldo Rodrigues de Lima, Rosalina da Silva,
Rosival Ferreira de Arajo, Severino Amaro do Nascimento,
Sergio Novais, Silvaney Bernardi, Tnia Andrea Lisboa, Valdeli dos
Santos Guimares, Vandr Jernimo da Silva

www.cnq.org.br
cnq@cnq.org.br
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(11) 3129-4989 e (11) 3235-4989
CNQ-CUT International Bulletin of the Chemical Branch of CUT

CNQ Internacional

07