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ITF calls on Brazilian government to avoid civil aviation job losses
11 October 2005
The ITF has urged the Brazilian government to resolve a crisis – putting thousands of jobs at risk - in what used to be Brazil’s biggest airline.
Today ITF General Secretary David Cockroft wrote to President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva voicing concern about the future of Varig, South America’s last national traditional airline and largest employer in Brazil’s aviation sector.
“This crisis directly threatens 17,000 jobs, indirectly endangers the employment of 100,000 other workers, and brings into question the future of the pension fund Aeros, upon which over 38,000 retired workers depend”, warned Cockroft.
He continued: “The potential disappearance of an airline with Varig’s international presence, history and size would jeopardise existing communication links between many cities in Brazil and has implications for Latin America’s integration process. In addition, the loss of Varig for Brazil would mean the loss of an important and sovereign instrument for developing both its tourism and aeronautical industries.”
Last Thursday, ITF Interamerican Secretary Antonio Rodriguez Fritz and representatives of ITF unions from Mercosur countries handed an alternative plan for Varig’s survival to the President of Brazilian Chamber of Deputies, the Labour Minister and the Vice President and Minister of Defence. The plan was finalised during the ITF Brazilian Seminar on the Civil Aviation Mercosur Project, held last week in Rio de Janeiro.
Next Thursday, Brazilian ITF affiliates Federação Nacional dos Trabalhadores da Aviação Civil and Sindicato Nacional dos Aeronautas will organise a camp-out in front of the hotel where an assembly of creditors will meet. They will urge the government, which owes the company some 40 per cent of its total debt, to support the plan; failure to intervene could result in the break up of the company before sale.
The ITF has prepared a letter of solidarity, to be sent by affiliates, appealing to Lula to support the plan, prevent job cuts and avoid the wider negative consequences of the loss of Varig.
More information:
www.itfglobal.org/files/seealsodocs/ENG/735/Lat_Am_Aviation report.pdf
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