Americanas representative meets for the first time with unions

Thirteen days after the start of crisis in Americanas, for the first time, a representative of the company met with employees and leaders of trade unions in several Brazilian states. Estimated at more than one hundred thousand people between direct and indirect jobs, workers have been expressing concern about the future of the company in conversations at establishments and publications on social networks.

According to the president of the Trade Union of Rio de Janeiro, Márcio Ayer, the claims fundamentally include the preservation of jobs and labor rights, but also priority in the list of creditors.

— So far, there are no layoffs in Rio, but we maintain daily contact with the concerned workers. The mood in the stores is one of apprehension and uncertainty. We are going to fight so that no trader is harmed and pays with his job for the negligence of Americanas businessmen – he said.

At the online meeting were presidents and directors of the National Confederation of Workers in Commerce (CNTC), the Federation of Commerce Workers of the State of São Paulo (Fecomerciários and their affiliated unions), the General Union of Workers (UGT Nacional) and UGT São Paulo.

Representing Americanas, the Human Resources and Union Relations manager, Lúcio Marques, said he was optimistic with the judicial recovery process presented by the company.

At the end of the meeting, Ayer conducted a meeting with union members only. It was decided that there will be an act in Rio de Janeiro to preserve the jobs and labor rights of Americanas employees. The venue and date of the event are yet to be determined.

In a statement, Americanas said that “it is a century-old retailer with a broad social impact. The company has more than 40,000 employees in all states of the country and reiterates that it remains committed to transparency and labor obligations, as provided for by law. The company continues to build a strategic plan to optimize resources so that decisions that ensure its sustainability have short-term effects. It also understands that restructuring is common and reinforces that it will keep all its employees and stakeholders informed “.