Workers in three metal sectors get nine per cent rise in Brazil

BRAZIL: A wage increase of nine per cent, the largest real increase in the last ten years representing approximately 4.5 per cent, was agreed to for metalworkers in three main metal sector groups including:

Group 8 (Wire Drawing and Rolling of Ferrous Metals, Refrigeration, Heating and Air Treatment, Electrical Conductors, Wire Drawing and Rolling of Nonferrous Metals),

Group 3 (Autoparts, Forging and Bolts), and

Foundry.

Workers in the Autoparts and Foundry sectors will also receive180 days maternity leave.

This was the draft agreement approved by metalworkers in the ABC region located in the state of São Paulo, Brazil on September 4 at a meeting held in the street next to the union building.

Meanwhile negotiations continue in the Automotive, Stamping and two other metal sectors where workers are struggling for the same agreement.

Sergio Nobre, president of ABC Metalworkers' Union, affiliated to CNM/CUT, says the negotiations will continue this week with the automakers, who have labeled the nine per cent wage increase as "absurd".

"This behaviour shows that it will be a challenge to extend to these workers the same deal. This is only possible with a lot of mobilization of our members," he said.

Valmir Marques "Biro Biro", president of the Metalworkers' Federation of CUT (FEM/CUT-SP) in São Paulo and coordinator of the workers' representatives at the bargaining table, in negotiating the wage campaign said the automakers and the other three groups claim that they can not afford to follow the nine per cent agreement.

"The automakers' arguments do not portray reality, since production is high. Everything depends on the mobilization capacity of the metalworkers, not only in ABC but in the entire state of São Paulo," he said.