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Google free translation service: Deutsch, Français, Español, Italiano, Português - About these links News onlineUnfairly dismissed VARIG employees demonstrate at EU-Brazil Summit 5 July 2007 Unfairly dismissed workers from Brazilian airline VARIG demonstrated yesterday in Lisbon as Brazilian President Luiz Inacio "Lula" da Silva reached the first EU Summit held with Brazil. The mobilization was called by Portuguese Airport Workers’ Union SITAVA - with the support of the European Transport Workers’ Federation (ETF) and the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) - to demand salary arrears and fair indemnity for workers from France, Italy, Portugal, Spain and the United Kingdom that have been sacked without any protection for unfair dismissal. “The situation affects more than 150 workers, mostly over 50 years old, which have been abandoned without the observation of the legal requirements in force in each of the 5 EU member states concerned”, explained ETF General Secretary Eduardo Chagas to the press. Union sources revealed that the Brazilian government is refusing to assume its current debt with the country’s bankrupt national flag carrier. “The Brazilian government has a role to play in finding a solution for the case, namely by paying the money it owes to VARIG. The new company must also push for a solution in order to avoid problems if they intend to resume the flights to Europe”, stated Eduardo Chagas. A former Spanish VARIG worker added: “If the Brazilian government paid, we would receive our money”. Already in March this year, the ETF learned with concern that VARIG had fired their employees, most of which had over 20 years seniority, without settling their last due salaries. No indemnity bonus and no reparation have been paid. The ETF therefore • Calls on the companies and the Brazilian government to provide a clear answer to the current workers’ situation • Requests for an EU investigation to clarify the facts in Portugal, Spain, France, Italy and UK • Demands the European Commission to check if the Member States laws applied in the five countries concerned comply with the EU Directives on collective redundancies (98/59/EC) and on information and consultation of the workers (2002/14/EC)
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