Brazil: Electricity company breaks agreement with Flasko workers and cuts off electricity supply to the occupied factory

We, the workers of Flasko, appeal for immediate solidarity and help. On Friday, October 17 at 6pm, the CPFL (Companhia Paulista de Força e Luz) electricity company cut off the power in the factory. We ask for immediate and decisive action to resist and defend our jobs.

Since September 2nd we have been negotiating with the CPFL, with the mediation of the Ministry of Labour’s office in Sao Paulo. After a meeting between the Flasko workers and the CPFL, in the offices of the Ministry of Labour in Sao Paulo, it was agreed to suspend payment of a debt of September 15, which we later paid in order to guarantee the continuity of production. The date of another meeting was agreed for September 30^th at the offices of the CPFL, and another one for October 7^th at the Ministry of Labour, to continue with the negotiations. At the meeting on September 30^th it was agreed to suspend payment until November 11^th, when there would be another meeting to try to arrange the way in which we would pay. It was also agreed to cancel the meeting with the Ministry of Labour on November 7^th.

For this reason we were surprised at the breaking of the agreement on the part of CPFL, which cut off power supply to the company without prior warning. It seems to us that the CPFL was simply interested in cancelling the meeting at the Ministry of Labour so that they could attack us, since they are aware that the main issue here is the struggle for jobs and rights. This confirms the hypocritical nature of the alleged “social responsibility” of CPFL, which hides behind fraudulent cultural initiatives, which are only used to get tax exemptions.

Our jobs are being threatened unless power supply is restored immediately. Nearly a year and a half ago, the CPFL played the same dreadful role (http://www.marxist.com/brief-history-movement-occupied-factories-brazil.htm ), cutting off power supply to the factory at the request of the fascist Interventor at CIPLA, but was later on forced to return to negotiations with the Flasko workers, after the fraudulent nature of his intervention in Flasko was revealed. A year ago we won (http://www.marxist.com/brazil-electricity-supply-flasko050707.htm), after a lot of struggle and suffering for 40 days, but we never recovered the damages caused, which in reality should have been paid by the CPFL.

For this reason we cannot accept this disloyal action on the part of CPFL. We ask for your support to re-establish power supply to the factory, through the widest solidarity in defence of the Flasko workers who are struggling against joblessness.

We have drawn up a plan of struggle, the first item of which is an appeal for solidarity to all comrades in Brazil to send solidarity messages to theCPFL, demanding the re-establishment of negotiations and the immediate reconnection of power supply to the workers.

Pedro Santinho

Coordenador do Conselho de Fábrica da Flaskô

(11) 9930-6383

Please send the model resolution provided here below in Portuguese and English as soon as possible to:

Para: Ulisses Guerreiro  - Recuperação de Crédito de Clientes Corporativo

Celular (19) 9219-6290 Ramal  (19) 3756-8937 Fax (19) 3756-5127

E-mail : guerreiro@cpfl.com.br

C/C: Superintendência Regional do Ministério do Trabalho e Emprego – São Paulo

Sr. Luciola Rodrigues Jaime

E-mail: luciola.jaime@mte.gov.br

Model Resolution (in Portuguese):

  Com surpresa e indignação tomamos conhecimento da infame ação unilateral da CPFL de cortar o fornecimento de energia na Flaskô, às 18 horas da última sexta-feira, dia 17 de outubro.

Acompanhamos de perto e com muito interesse a luta dos trabalhadores para manter seus empregos e lutar pelos direitos. Temos acompanhado as recentes negociações entre os trabalhadores e a CPFL, realizadas em conjunto com o Ministério do Trabalho para encontrar uma boa saída para manter os empregos.

Diante disso, nos indignamos que a CPFL rompa unilateralmente as negociações com os trabalhadores cortando o fornecimento de energia, colocando em risco a vida dos trabalhadores e causando danos sérios às maquinas que estavam ligadas.

Por isso, queremos que esta Companhia assuma seu lugar nas negociações com os trabalhadores e o Ministério do Trabalho, religando a energia na Flaskô, imediatamente, permitindo, assim, que os trabalhadores voltem a trabalhar.

Sem mais,

English translation of Model Resolution:

With surprise and anger we have learnt of the unilateral action of the CPFL to cut off power supply to Flasko at 6pm on October 17.

We have supported and followed with great interest the struggle of the workers to defend their jobs and their rights. We have followed the recent negotiations between the workers and the CPFL, together with the Ministry of Labour, to find a positive solution and defend their jobs

For this reason, we are angered by the fact that the CPFL has unilaterally broken off talks with the workers, cutting off the power supply, putting the lives of the workers at risk and causing serious damage to the machines that were operating.

For this reason we would like the Company to go back to negotiations with the workers and the Ministry of Labour, to reconnect the power supply to Flasko immediately, thus allowing the workers to return to work.

Yours,

……….

To see pictures of the damage caused by the power cut off:

http://tiremasmaosdacipla.blogspot.com/2008/10/cpfl-no-tem-responsabilidade-nenhuma.html