National Agreement to Improve Working Conditions of the Sugar-Cane Sector

The National Agreement to Improve Working Conditions of the Sugar-Cane sector was launched by the Brazilian Government on the 25th of June. This unprecedented trilateral agreement, between workers, government and the private sector reveals the importance society and government attribute to environmental and social sustainability issues in the country. It will be an important tool to guarantee that the production of bio-fuels will happen in a sustainable way.

Besides reiterating the present legislation, the Agreement will incorporate measures that amplify social, labor and union rights. The Federal Government will support actions towards promoting sugar-cane workers’ education and qualification, strengthtening actions and social services, and supervising workers’ tools and equipment, in order to provide a safer and more satisfactory work. The implementation and monitoring of the measures will be conducted by a commission created for this specific purpose.

The agreement was elaborated in a “Table of Dialogues” created in July 2008, through an initiative of President Lula, with the objective of debating and proposing solutions to make manual sugar-cane cultivation more human and safe.

The ceremony was presided by the President of Brazil, Luis Inácio Lula da Silva, and was attended by the Ministers of Agriculture, Energy, Labor and Rural Development, as well as the Secretary General of the Republic, the Special Secretary of Human Rights, and the Attorney General.

Also present at the event were Union leaders from the National Confederation of Agricultural Workers/ CONTAG(representing 20 million workers), the São Paulo state Rural Workers Federation (FERAESP), the Union of the Sugar-Cane Industry (which represents 75% of the sector) ,representatives of the Sucro-energetic Forum, as well as sugar-cane workers.