Workers rescued in a situation analogous to slavery in RS return home – 02/25/2023 – Market

Workers found in a situation analogous to slavery in Bento Gonçalves (RS) began to return home on Friday night (24). In agreement with the authorities, the contractor undertook to pay the severance pay for each one.

There are 207 people who worked for an outsourced company, hired by the Aurora, Cooperativa Garibaldi and Salton wineries, important producers in the region. The three say they were not aware of the situation reported by the workers.

According to the MPT (Ministério Público do Trabalho), they were allocated on four buses bound for Bahia, with guaranteed cost of food during the trip. Only 12 remained in Rio Grande do Sul, where they live.

The MPT negotiated an emergency TAC (Conduct Adjustment Term) with the owner of the company that hired them, ensuring that each one received R$500 in cash. The rest of the severance pay will be paid until the next 28th.

“It is established in the TAC that the entrepreneur must present proof of payments under penalty of filing a public civil action for collective moral damages, in addition to a fine corresponding to 30% of the amount owed”, said the MPT.

It is estimated that the total severance pay amounts to R$ 1 million. According to the MPT, the cost of transporting the workers back to Bahia was also the responsibility of the contractor.

“The verified situation lights an alert about the need for action focused on the entire grape production chain, which every year attracts several workers to the Serra Gaúcha in search of employment and improvement of living conditions”, said attorney Franciele D’Ambros , in an interview this Saturday (25).

“However, this is not always what happens, as seen during the operation that was triggered. The MPT will continue to act to ensure that the situations verified are not repeated.”

The amounts to be paid by the contracting company, according to the TAC, also do not settle the employment contracts, nor do they mean that there is a waiver of individual labor rights. That is, workers will be able to claim these values, including with labor action.

Throughout the week, a meeting will be scheduled with the employing company and the wineries to continue the negotiation of individual and collective indemnities and also to define obligations that prevent similar occurrences.

The operation was launched on Wednesday night (22), after a complaint was made by a group that managed to escape from the inn where the workers were staying. They reported that the employer promised to pay for food, accommodation and transportation, but when they arrived, they had to pay for the inn.

The MPT says that the place of accommodation was also in poor condition. The inspection also found the granting of loans “at extortionate interest” and heard reports of physical and psychological violence.

The workers reported to the Labor Inspection that they were subjected to electric shocks. Tasers were used, they told prosecutors and auditors, to wake them up.

The origin of these workers —all from Salvador (BA)— would also be mentioned in a pejorative way by the person in charge. The work routine, which began in early February, would be from Sunday to Friday, from 5 am to 8 pm, during the grape harvest.

The operation also involved the Federal and Federal Highway Police.

According to the agencies that participated in the operation —Ministry of Labor and Employment, Public Ministry of Labor and Federal and Federal Highway Police—, those rescued worked for two companies that were hired by Aurora, Cooperativa Garibaldi and Salton wineries, important producers in the region. The three say they were not aware of the situation reported by the workers. Garibaldi and Aurora say that their contracts with these companies were only for the truck unloading service. Read the full notes from the wineries here.

According to the Labor Inspection, the workers rescued on Wednesday were working in the vineyards.