Keite Camacho
Reporter - Agencia Brasil

Brasilia – Força Sindical, the second largest union group in the country, during a meeting with the Minister of Labor, Luiz Marinho, this Tuesday (1), expressed concern with the collective vacations and employment terminations that have occurred after the cases of foot and mouth disease (FMD) in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, that have caused some countries to ban importation of Brazilian meat. Union leaders want to negotiate a solution for the crisis with governors, the federal government and the legislative power. Among proposed alternatives, there is the reduction of meat prices to stimulate consumption, as well as the reduction of taxes for the sector.
Led by Paulo Pereira da Silva, Força Sindical asked the minister to arrange meetings with President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, the Minister of Finance, Antonio Palocci, Minister of Planning, Paulo Bernardo, the Presidents of the Chamber of Deputies and Federal Senate, as well as with workers and entrepreneurs to try to find a solution for the problem.

The meat sector employs approximately a million workers direct or indirectly. Silva added that the meat from Mato Grosso do Sul has been banned not only abroad, but also by other Brazilian states such as São Paulo and Paraná.

Translation: Andréa Alves