Are boycotts of unethical companies effective? – 03/02/2023 – Reader Panel

The rescue of workers in a situation similar to slavery in wineries in Bento Gonçalves, in the Serra Gaúcha, generated revolt and campaigns for the boycott of the products sold by the companies involved.

The approximately 200 workers claim to have been deceived by the promise of temporary employment, a salary of R$4,000, lodging and meals. They also said that they faced 15-hour workdays, were subjected to electric shocks and suffered discrimination because they were from Bahia.

The men were outsourced to the Aurora, Cooperativa Garibaldi and Salton wineries, important producers of wine and grape juice, by the companies Fênix Serviços de Apoio Administrativo and Oliveira & Santana. The wineries say they were unaware of the conditions.

Boycotts such as those advocated against wineries are nothing new. Recently, the manufacturer of cleaning products Ypê was the target of a similar movement due to the financing of the campaign of former president Jair Bolsonaro for re-election. The murder of Beto Freitas by two security guards in a supermarket in 2020 also motivated a campaign against Carrefour.

In your opinion, are boycotts effective against unethical practices by companies? In what way? Do you, reader, usually adopt this measure?

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