Brazil: 7,000 workers still on strike at the Belo Monte dam project even though court ruled it illegal

“Abusing the right to strike.”  The Heavy Construction Workers’ Union of Para (Sindicato dos Trabalhadores nas Industrias da Construçao Pesada e Afins do Estado do Pará, SINTRAPAV) refused to obey the court ruling and declared a new day of strike in Belo Monte on Thursday, April 26.  The Labor Court of the 8th region ruled in favor of Consorcio Construtor Belo Monte (CCBM), the construction company in charge, in the conflict setting it against the site’s 7,000 workers.  Indeed, the company’s request that the strike be declared illegal was met.  Construction for the world’s third largest dam in Belo Monte, Para, Amazon, has been completely stopped because of this movement.  Workers are demanding changes to their labor contracts.  They are notably asking for leaves every three months to visit their families, instead of six months as provided for in their contract, and an increase to their meal tickets, from BRL 90 up to BRL 300 (from €36 up to €120).  The parties failed to reach an agreement after two previous bargaining rounds.  CCBM refused to grant these advantages, arguing that they were not included in the collective contract in force.  The Labor Court of the 8th Region gave the group satisfaction, judging that the collective labor agreement (Acordo Coletivo de Trabalho) the parties signed last November was perfectly valid and that workers were “abusing the right to strike” as the employer was in line with the clauses of the contract. 
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ng rounds. CCBM refused to grant these advantages, arguing that they were not included in the collective contract in force. The Labor Court of the 8th Region gave the group satisfaction, judging that the collective labor agreement (Acordo Coletivo de Trabalho) the parties signed last November was perfectly valid and that workers were “abusing the right to strike” as the employer was in line with the clauses of the contract.

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