20,000 South American food workers have demonstrated in Brazilia demanding better working conditions

On 15 August, the International Union of Food, Agricultural, Hotel, Restaurant, Catering, Tobacco and Allied Workers' Associations (IUF) Regional Office for Latin America along with the Brazilian IUF-affiliated National Food Workers' Confederation (CONTAC) mobilized more than 20,000 people in Brazilia demanding to reduce line speed and daily working hours to a maximum of six in industrial poultry processing.

The rally ended at the presidential Palacio del Planalto, with the demonstrators and union representatives urging the Brazilian government and legislators to swiftly pass corrective legislation.

“Employers seek to reduce workers rights, to make the public social security system cheaper for them and push for a private one. Our agenda, instead, is to improve and enhance the social security system so that it provides wider and better coverage to more people.

CONTAC's president Siderlei de Oliveira

The IUF said: “Brazil established its position of world leader in the poultry export sector precisely through an intensive work pace and unbearable working hours that resulted into 25% of the Brazilian poultry processing workforce to be victim of Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI).”

CONTAC's president Siderlei de Oliveira also commented: "Employers seek to reduce workers rights, to make the public social security system cheaper for them and push for a private one. Our agenda, instead, is to improve and enhance the social security system so that it provides wider and better coverage to more people".

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