Vinícola Aurora publishes an open letter after the Bento Gonçalves case

Vinícola Aurora, one of the large companies in Bento Gonçalves (RS) involved in the case of work analogous to slavery in the region, released an open letter to Brazilian society this Friday (3). In the text, the company apologizes for the facts that occurred and talks about changes in its labor dynamics.

The letter from Vinícola Aurora comes at a time when the case of Bento Gonçalves is taking on much more political contours than police. Controversial and xenophobic statements this week have further complicated the image of wine producing companies in the region.

Earlier this week, the Center for Industry, Commerce and Services of Bento Gonçalves (CIC-BG) issued a note in which it relates the use of work analogous to slavery in grape harvesting to federal income distribution policies, such as the Bolsa Família .

“Situations like this, unfortunately, are also related to a problem that has long been emphasized and worked on by the CIC-BG and the local Public Power: the lack of labor and the need to invest in projects and initiatives that allow minimize this major problem. There is a large portion of the population with full productive conditions and that, even so, is inactive, surviving through a welfare system that has nothing to do with society”, says one of the excerpts of the note.

Also this week, a councilor from Caxia do Sul, in the same region as Bento Gonçalves, gave a speech in which he advised local producers not to hire workers from Bahia or other states in the Northeast. “Farmers, producers, I’m going to give you some advice: don’t hire those people upstairs anymore,” he said.

In his speech, Sandro Fantinel (Patriota) still advises businessmen to give preference to Argentines because “they are clean, hardworking, correct, keep the hours, keep the house clean and on the day they leave they even thank the boss”.

The speech continued with an attack on Bahian workers. “Now with the people of Bahia, whose only culture is living on the beach playing the drums, it was normal for people to have this kind of problem.” The Chamber of Councilors of Caxias do Sul opened a cassation process against the councilor.

Check out the open letter from Vinícola Aurora to Brazilian society below:

At the beginning of the last century, some Italian families crossed the Atlantic in search of better days. In the suitcases, few pieces of clothing, one or two faded photos, a lot of courage and a dream: to remake life in a strange country. Aurora Winery was born from this dream. From this dream and a lot of work.

The work that always ran in the veins of our founders soon mixed with this land, spread among the vineyards, nourished each plant with an unnegotiable sense of respect for the hands that sowed it, that reaped it, that helped it to be of the grape, wine, and winning the world, recognition and, more importantly, winning a place at the table and in the hearts of Brazilians.

The recent events involving our relationship with the Phoenix company deeply shame us. They embarrass and infuriate. We learned from those who came before us that without work we would be nothing. Work is sacred. To betray this principle would be to betray our history and ourselves. Meanwhile, albeit involuntarily, we feel like that’s what we did.

First of all, we would like to offer our most sincere apologies to the workers victimized by the situation. None more than they carry, on their sun-healed shoulders, the weight of an intolerable practice, yesterday, today, and forever. The forehead of those who make Brazil happen, every day, at the expense of their honest sweat, should always be raised, proud, and never subjugated by the greed of a few. We repudiate this with all our might.

Then, we felt compelled to extend these apologies to the Brazilian people as a whole, not just as a speech, but as a practice. We have already made mistakes, but we are committed not to repeat them. As a company, we guarantee that attention to a topic that is so important to us will be redoubled, practices will be reviewed, and all guarantees will be taken to ensure that an inexcusable episode like this does not happen again. We have a long road ahead of us, but every long road starts with a first step, and that step is taken now.

We are already working on a robust program that should implement substantial changes in the dynamics of Vinícola Aurora. These changes should qualify not only our relationship with all partners, in the quest to gain control over the processes as a whole, but also the company’s internal practices and policies and our role as an agent outstanding economic, social and cultural development in our region and the responsibility that comes with it.

We believe in the values ​​that we want to reaffirm in order to become worthy of Brazil’s trust once again and spread its name to the four corners of the world, in bright and vigorous colors and not in gray notes like the one we are experiencing at this moment. We hope to come out the other side a better company. We are here, with our minds and hearts open, starting all over again, if necessary, as our ancestors did when they landed here. Only, unlike them, who were pure uncertainty about a strange land, we do it with the conviction that this is a wonderful country that deserves the best of us.

Work doesn’t scare us. It should always be a source of joy and fulfillment. And Vinícola Aurora will spare no efforts to collaborate with the construction of a world in which respect, pride and fulfillment are part of every worker’s life.

Sincerely, Aurora Wine Cooperative