Brazil: Carolo Mill Lays Off 350 Workers in Pontal (SP), Union Reports

The Sugar Industry Workers' Union has announced that at least 350 employees of the Carolo sugar mill in Pontal, São Paulo state, Brazil, have been laid off recently. The union also condemned the mill for failing to pay employees their rightful labor benefits. Approximately a week prior, employees at the mill had already staged a protest to denounce the company's failure to pay benefits stipulated in their agreements. Antonio Vitor, the union president, stated that the dismissed workers had not received their severance pay and were also facing delayed salary payments. He elaborated: “They received nothing for their severance; furthermore, there is still an outstanding payroll. The February salary, which they should have received on the fifth business day of March, has not been paid.” Vitor further noted that employees had not received food vouchers for at least three months and also lacked access to their health insurance. The union additionally alleged that child support payments were deducted from some workers' salaries but were not forwarded to the children's mothers. EPTV, an affiliate of TV Globo, attempted to contact the mill's management but received no response. On the morning of March 6, approximately 50 employees gathered in front of the mill to protest the lack of payments. They highlighted that the company was not fulfilling agreed-upon benefits, such as food vouchers and health plans. During the protest, mill trucks were blocked, as employees expressed their discontent.