Labor rotativity overcomes 40% in Brazil

Brazil has one of the highest rates of labor rotativity in the world. In 2009, the rate overcame 40%, with the hire of 16,1 million workers, according to the Work and Job Ministery (MTE).

In May of this year, a new alert sign: MTE detected that it was dismissed 1,4 million workers over 1,7 million people hired at the country.

Index superior
to the USA’s
From 1990 to 2000, while the rate of workers substitution was about 49% in Brazil, it was about 21,5% at the developed countries. The rate haven’t reached to 40% at the USA, country whose laws are less severe than the countries of the Organization to Cooperation and Economic Development (OCDE).

The capital substitutes the Brazilian worker for another because there is no legislation which avoids this practice. The initiative increases the profits, by the salary reduction and diminution of the benefits which are in the collective conventions. MTE data show that in 2006 the industry hired workers with payment 20% inferior than the dismissed at the same year.

What does the trade
union movement has to do?
The trade union centrals need to move on to attack the problem. One of the focus must to be the National Congress where the Convention 158 of OIT (which proibits reasonless demission) is to be confirmed.

João Carlos Gonçalves,
Juruna, General-Secretary
of Força Sindical

“If there isn’t pressure over the politicians, the document won’t be voted”, recognizes the general-secretary of Força Sindical, João Carlos Gonçalves, Juruna.

He reminded that the 158 had a period in Brazil at government Itamar Franco, but it was finished at government FHC, who has bend to the businessmen pressure.

Salary campaigns
Juruna highlighted that in the salary campaigns of the second semester, the trade union leaders have to negotiate measures which protect the jobs and avoid the substitution of one worker by other in order to reduce costs.

The president of Força Sindical-RJ, Francisco Dal Pra, explained that the rotativity gerates low quality jobs because of the miserable salaries and the work conditions many times degrade.

Politic purposes
“But the rotativity is also used with politic purposes to weaken the trade unions: it reduce the number of members and destructs the identity of the worker with the category and with the class itself”, says the president of the Sewers Trade Union of São Paulo, Eunice Cabral.

“Beyond the diminution of the total of trade union members, the exchange of a number of employees by other damages the organization and the power of pressure of workers over the companies”, says the president of the Central-RN, Francisco de Assis Torres.

Unemployment
insurance
It also influences negatively in the government accounts: the collects of the Social Security falls and the expenses with unemployment insurance increases. In 2008, the rotativity cost to the government R$ 6,5 million with the payment of the benefit.

“To dismiss the worker, the boss pays only 40% of fine over the FGTS deposits”, regrets Maria de Fátima Coelho, president of Força-AP.

Stop
“It’s necessary to stop the bosses free will of making demission without any reason”, points Osvaldo Mafra, president of Força-SC.

Miguel Torres, Substitute President of Força Sindical

Boss use rotativity to precarious work

The trade union movement has to awake for a serious problem which damages violently the Brazilian workers. It’s the rotativity of labor, mean used by the bosses to reduce costs related to salary and to diminute the benefits achieved at the collective conventions.

Unfortunately, until now, the subject is not having the proper attention of the trade unions. Last year, it was dismissed 15,1 million people over 16,1 million people hired. The rate of substitution of these workers have overpassed the 40%, according to calculus of the Work and Job Ministery (MTE).

Great part of this number was dismissed to reduce earnings. According to MTE, in 2006, the companies have hired workers with remuneration 20% inferior than the dismissed at the same year. The situation is serious, worring.

The capital dismiss in this quantity and rythim because there is no law which avoids this. There is only a fine of 40%. Because of that, we are convinced that we have to pressure the National Congress to confirm the Convention 158 of OIT, which avoids reasonless demission.

This convention was already used in Brazil, during Itamar Franco government, but it was taken out by FHC because of the businessmen pressure.

At the same time, the trade union movement have to negotiate with the bosses measures which protects job and avoid the substitution of one worker by other, in order to reduce costs.

We can begin the fight this second semester, months in which the great professional categories start their salary campaigns.

Sérgio Butka, President of the Metallurgist Trade Union of Great Curitiba and of Força Sindical-Paraná

It has to have attitude

Centrals make pressure for the minimum of R$570...
The war around the new minimum will start at Mixt Budget Commission, which hurries to approve until the 16th , when the parliamentarians holidays start,  the text of the LDO (Budget Directions Law). The trade union centrals will pressure the Congress to guarantee a minimum salary of R$ 570 next year. As the decision has to be taken in elections year, the tendency is that the government give in to this pressure.

... Ministery and writter have other proposals...
The Planning Minister, Paulo Bernardo, defends that the minimum salary increases from the current R$ 510 to R$ 535,91. The writter of the budget, senator Tião Viana (PT-AC) proposes R$ 550. Viana, who is candidate to Acre’s government, have presented alternative proposal to weaken the stress created with the position defended by the Planning, which doesn’t predicts increase above inflation in 2011.

... writter wants real raise of 2,46%
The writter wants that the calculus of the minimum considers the average of growth of the PIB of 2008 and 2009, more the INPC (National Index of Prices to the Consomer) acumulated in the last 12 months, and not only the PIB of 2009, as it wants the economic team of president Lula. The calculus of Viana increases the value to R$ 550 – real raise of 2,46%.