| Written by Metalworkers Union of São José dos Campos |
| Monday, 04 February 2013 04:26 |
 General Motors’ workers in São José dos Campos,approved on Monday, January 28, the agreement proposed by the United Steelworkers and by the automaker. In the first shift, at morning, the assembly was unified among all the plant’s sectors gathering together around 5,000 employees, being approved by 98% of them. In the afternoon, the second shift meeting gathered together around 2,000 steelworkers who approved the agreement as well. The deal comes after a year of intense mobilizations with strikes, rallies and visits to Brasilia to push the Federal Government and the company. As of February 2012, the Union has been standing at the head of a strong fight to prevent the company from firing 1840 workers and from closing the MVA (Motor Vehicle Assembly). GM went so far as to announce its intention to close the industrial complex of São José dos Campos, if there were no agreement. Last Saturday, January 26, the union and GM reached a draft agreement that will bring investments of R$500 million for the São José dos Campos plant and will keep 750 employees in the production of the “Classic” model until December 2013. The layoff period, which began in August 2012, will be extended for two more months, with payment of full salary funded by GM. After this period, if there is any dismissal, the automaker will have to pay a fine of three base salaries. Individuals with employment stability (those who are injured or who are in the pre-retirement period) must mandatorily be retained as company’s employees after the period of layoff. The draft agreement includes: · Investment o f R$ 500million allocated to the areas o f Power train(engine and transmission), Stamping and S10 in the period as from 2013 up to 2017. · The production of the “Classic” model shall be maintained up to December 2013, employing 750 employees. After this period, there will be further negotiation. · Collective holidays between January 29 and February 14, 2013 for those employees working at the “Classic” model production. · Extension of layoff for two more months for those employees who are in that process. At the end of this period, if the company fires any employee, it will have to pay a fine of three salaries. The worker may choose to leave immediately and, if so he does, he will receive five salaries, plus the severance pay (the labor rights). · Renewal of the social clauses at the time of the Annual Collective Bargaining Agreement renewal as of 2013 until 2015. The economic clauses will be negotiated in September. In this periodt here will be no bonus. · The PLR (1) shall be equal to that of 2012 plus R$ 3,200, totaling about R$16,000. In May, there will be negotiation of targets. The first portionwill be of R$6,600. · Discussion between GM and the Union on how to anticipate the retirement for those who are in the verge of retirement. · GM agrees to negotiate first with the union, in case there is any investment project for the production of a newvehicle in Brazil. · New wage grid for employees hired after the signing of this agreement, only for those working at the components factory (Powertrain, Stamping& Plastic), with a salary floor of R$1,800. · Working hours which allows two hours overtime a day and overtime work on Saturdays, alternately. There may be up to 12 days off a year, which will be compensated later. · Reallocation of injured employees to compatible activities. Such reallocations must be defined together with the union. · Guarantee of the employment level until December 2013 for the MVA employees and unti lDecember 2014 for the rest of the plant in São José dos Campos. · Adjustment in the job level clause at the area of materials handling, from 1203 to 900 employees. · Guarantee of renewal/extension of agreements of differentiated working hours (6×1; shift work and working hours on Sundays upon overtime pay and a day off in the week) for a period of two years. · Inclusion in collective bargaining agreement clause, recognizing that the period of minutes preceding and following the contracted daily journey, limited to 40 minutes a day, will not be considered as time at the company’s disposal. On the assumption that job termination occurs for any worker, the union will file an action concerning the period prior to this negotiation. · The agreement will last for two years. “This was not the agreement with which we dreamed of, but neither was i twhat GM wanted. It was the agreement that was possible.Till the last moment, the company persisted with the plan to lay off 1,500 workers and close the MVA. If we come this far, it was by the strength of our mobilizations. But it is important to emphasize that the struggle in defense of jobs and rights continues, since the agreement includes the productionof Classiconly until December”, says the president of the Union, Antonio“Macapá” Ferreira de Barros.  The Union will continue demanding from the Federal Government practical measures in favor of the workers. “The federal government gives tax exemptions to automakers, that are with sales and profits upward buth as nomeasures to ensure the jobs of workers.We need a national collective agreement that guarantees minimal working conditions in the country’s automakers and prevents the blackmail attempting to lower the wages and the rights”, said the Union General Secretary, Luiz CarlosPrates. Additional polls At today’s meeting, the workers observed a minute of silence in tribute to the victims of the fire at Kiss Nightclub, which left 237 dead in the city of Santa Maria (RS). It also was as approved a motion of support to the strikes at the automakers Peugeot, Citroen and PSA in France and sympathyto the struggle of the GM metal workers in Germany, the United States and Colombia, defending the international unity of workers. (1)PLR – Profit and Results Sharing |
