Slave labor: BNDES will execute company debt – 03/10/2023 – Market

The Minister of Labor and Employment, Luiz Marinho, said this Friday (10th) that he intends to tighten punishments for companies that enter the so-called slave labor blacklist.

“For companies that insist on using [mão de obra em situação de escravidão], we will offer the rigor of the law. Let’s go back to the dirty list. Companies that, for example, have loans with the BNDES, upon entering the dirty list, will have their debt summarily forfeited. It will be prevented for a while from taking public funding and providing public services.”

The so-called slave labor blacklist is drawn up by the labor tax audit, based on the results of inspections. Ordinance from 2017 tightened the parameters for a company to enter the list (it needs, for example, to have already defended itself administratively).

The minister also said that he should visit Bento Gonçalves (RS) by the beginning of April to deal with the recent case of workers rescued in a situation analogous to slavery in grape harvests.

In addition to the region known for its viticulture, Marinho also said that he would like to go to Minas Gerais and other states to, according to him, discuss and encourage the business community to “not practice savagery” in labor relations.

Marinho also praised the work of the labor auditors and said that it is important that they have freedom to work.

“This work needs to be praised, but, above all, we don’t want there to be an inspector at every corner. It is necessary to encourage companies to carry out self-regulation, to work with the logic of respect for people and the employment contract.”

The political context of recent years may have influenced the volume of recent cases of work similar to slavery caught recently, said the minister.

“It seems that the preaching of hate, anger and the logic of precarious work stimulated many companies to practice the abuse of slave labor. It is necessary to put a brake on this and go back to the lack of civility.”

Last Thursday (9), wineries from Bento Gonçalves signed a conduct adjustment agreement with the Public Ministry of Labor in Rio Grande do Sul. A company that provided services to the Aurora, Garibaldi and Salton wineries kept workers in degrading conditions, according to a rescue operation involving the MPT, the labor tax audit and the Federal and Federal Highway Police.

They will pay R$ 7 million — of which R$ 2 million will be passed on to rescued workers and R$ 5 million will be in fines for collective moral damage.