“This March, we are supporting the strike carried out by workers of Jirau and Santo Antonio power stations”, stated the organizations in a press release. The power plants are being built by Camargo Correa and Odebrecht respectively. “These struggles took place and are currently taking place in several areas of Brazil”, they add.

The Movement of Dam-Affected People, the Workers Union, the Movement of Small Farmers, the Landless Rural Workers Movement, the National Association of Forest Engineering Students, the Movement of Peasant Women, the Pastoral Land Commission and the Missionary Indigenous Council are some of the organizations that signed the document.

These organizations and movements express their solidarity with the “legitimate struggle” of workers and people affected by dams. “We are also denouncing and demanding the Regional Labor Court of Rondonia to reconsider its decision and cancel immediately the daily fine (of approximately 30,500 dollars) on the workers union”, they state.

According to the document, the workers of Santo Antonio and Jirau are being pressured by the companies to speed up and finish the works earlier. “Most workers are being paid extremely low salaries and are victims of long days of work, poor working and safety conditions, violence and persecution, breach of contracts, low quality transportation and they are permanently threatened with losing their jobs,” reads the statement.

The organizations denounce that the workers of Jirau are working 25% more quickly than before. The goal of the companies is to cut costs and increase profits by finishing the works before plans.

Meanwhile, an article published in Odebrecht’s official website reads that the works in Santo Antonio are being carried out with haste to produce energy before the deadline.

“But workers are being exploited by the companies”, denounce the Brazilian social organizations and the workers believe that they will be fired massively when the works end.

Photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/billja...