In search of agreement, Union sends matrix letter from Sonaca, in Belgium

In search of an understanding to resolve the situation of the workers who went on strike on April 16, the Metalworkers Union of São José dos Campos e Regio, affiliated to the central union CSP-Conlutas, sent a letter from the company, located in the city from Charleroi, in Belgium.

Workers at Sonaca Brasil, located in So José dos Campos, reached the ninth day of strike, this Wednesday (24). The workers fight for improvements in the health plan offered by the factory (without payment of service fees), job stability and payment for days off during mobilization.

In the document, sent to Belgians by email this Tuesday (23), the Union reveals the hostile stance of the company’s local management, which, since the beginning of the strike, has disrespected workers and Brazilian legislation itself. Supervisors intimidate workers into abandoning the strike and, daily, call the police to try to weaken the movement.

Click here to access the document sent to Sonaca headquarters (in French).

In Brazil, the right to strike and free union organization are provided for in the Consolidation of Labor Laws (CLT) and in the Federal Constitution itself.

The strike was motivated by the arbitrary change in the health plan offered by Sonaca. With the new medical insurance, workers have to pay, in addition to the monthly fee, co-participation fees when undergoing consultations, exams and medical procedures. This compromises a large part of their salaries, which are already considered the lowest in the metallurgical segment in the region.

This Thursday (25th), the third meeting will be held between the Union and Sonaca representatives, mediated by the Public Ministry of Labor. Previous negotiations ended without agreement.

Check out the full letter, in Portuguese:

So José dos Campos, Brazil, April 23, 2024.

Yves Delatte
CEO of Sonaca
Belgium

The Metalworkers Union of São José dos Campos and Region, representing Sonaca Brasil workers, has been confronted, in the local unit, with behavior that is absolutely anti-union towards workers and their most basic rights.

Faced with a legitimate strike movement, the management of Sonaca Brasil is adopting practices that violate Brazilian labor legislation and disrespect free trade union organization, with the intention of pressuring and intimidating workers into ending the strike, on the basis of moral harassment and calling of military police officers in front of the factory to intimidate workers on the picket lines.

The workers have been on strike since April 16th, motivated by the change in the medical insurance established by Sonaca. Without negotiating with the Union and without listening to the workers, the factory made changes to the health plan and imposed the payment of additional fees, forcing users to pay extra to have the right to consultations, exams and other medical procedures. Employees demand, with absolute reason, a return to the old health plan, without fees being charged.

Since the start of the strike, there has been pressure from the company. Bosses send messages to strikers to force them to return to work, in clear anti-union behavior. Police vehicles are positioned daily in front of the factory to intimidate strikers in an attempt to put an end to the strike.

The demand made by the workers is fair and necessary, considering that the low wages paid by the factory are compromised by the additional fees for the health plan.

We appealed to the Sonaca headquarters to demand respect for the right to strike and the acceptance of our demands. We cannot accept that a foreign company disobeys Brazilian legislation, acting in an authoritarian and anti-union manner with repressive support from the military police.

We therefore request the immediate return of the medical insurance system that existed before and payment for days stopped during the strike and job stability.

Certain that we can count on your attention, we await your response with the urgency that the matter requires.

Weller Gonalves
President
Metalworkers Union of São José dos Campos and Region