Trade Union Warns Embraer Customers on Work Conditions in their Plants

Metalworkers’ Union of São José dos Campos and Region launched, on last Thursday 11, a release to Embraer customers, to denounce labor rights cutting. The Union aims to warn customers on the conditions which Embraer aircrafts are being manufactured.

The letter was sent to Aeromexico, Air Canada, Air Astana (Kazakhstan), Air Dolomiti (Italy), Globalia (Spain), Airlink (South Africa), Ast Financial (United States) and Air TKT (Brazil).

The release was motivated, primarily, by the fact that Embraer refuses to renew the contract with the Union since 2018, jeopardizing the labor rights envisaged in the Labor Collective Agreement of the aeronautics industry.

With this refusal, Embraer’s goal is to end labor stability for injured workers who suffered accidents or diseases during/due to activities in the workplace.

At Embraer, hundreds of production-line workers are subjected to unsafe labor conditions due to exposition to chemical products.

Furthermore, workers do not have any wage increase above inflation since 2014. In the release, the Union states: “Today, it is a fact that Embraer workers are using their rest hours to work as app drivers. This is a risky situation, as those workers are going to the factory without the necessary rest to produce aircrafts.”

On top of that, without a collective agreement, outsourcing of the plant production is allowed, which might take to the dismissal of several workers to be replaced by outsourced work force (with lower wages and fewer rights).

In the letter sent to customers, the Union explains the magnitude of this fact: “This is a serious fact for an aircraft manufacturer responsible for the in-flight safety of thousands of people. The same company also exposes its workers to constant pressure and collective moral harassment.”

For months, the Union has asked Embraer president, Francisco Gomes Neto, to discuss the work conditions in the plants with no return so far.

“We want Embraer customers to know what happens inside the plant. After Boeing take over, this situation may worsen, considering the U. S. giant's record on massive layoffs and moral harassment. As a Union, we have to stand for the workers’ rights,” declared Union leader, Herbert Claros.

Letter in full

Boeing and Embraer refuse to ensure rights granted by the Labor Collective Agreement

The Labor Collective Agreement (CCT in Portuguese) allows the company and workers to determine norms that are not considered explicitly in the legislation. It also regulates existent legal mechanisms, but since 2018 Embraer has been refusing to sign the CCT.

This is serious for an aircraft manufacturer responsible for the flight safety of thousands of people. The same company exposes its workers to constant pressure and collective moral harassment.

On September 24 and 25, there was a tense atmosphere at the doors of the Embraer headquarter, in São José dos Campos. Armed police officers acted violently against workers and union leaders to end the strike voted democratically by workers. Embraer is also taking retaliations against workers that were part of the strike, deducting the hours of paralyzation from their payments.

This Embraer stand takes place while there is a debate on the transfer of its factory to Boeing. Although the factory has not been sold yet, the Brazilian company already implements the same anti-union, repressive policies adopted by the U.S. Boeing in their plants.

Aeronautics workers demand wage increase and the renewal of all rights considered in the CCT, granted for decades. Embraer insists in eliminating two clauses from the CCT: guarantee against dismissals for those who were injured or became ill working in the factory, and the prohibition of unrestrained outsourcing.

Embraer workers do not receive a wage increase above inflation rates since 2014, and cannot rely on the CCT since 2018 because the company refuses to comply with it. Today, it is a fact that the Embraer workers are occupying their rest time to work as app drivers. This is a risky situation, as workers are going to the factory without the necessary rest to produce aircrafts.

Since April, when Francisco Gomes Neto took over the Presidency of Embraer, the São José dos Campos Metal Workers' Union already sent three requests for a meeting. All of them were rejected by the company.

You, as customer and user of Embraer airplanes, have the right to known what are the labor conditions of Embraer workers. The Union fulfils its social role of defending the workers' rights and dignity.

We repeat that it is serious for an aircraft manufacturer that is responsible for the flight safety of thousands of people like Embraer and Boeing to ignore social clauses that are decisive for the quality of life of the workers who produce their aircraft.

Board of Metalworkers Union of São Jose dos Campos and Region