Brazil

Country information related to the project

The National Project Steering Committee (PSC)

The National Project Steering Committee is the national body that approves the project workplan and provides direction to the project activities. It is composed of government, employers' and workers' representatives. The project partners ILO, VW and GTZ are also part of the PSC.

Members of the PSC

• ILO: Ms. Abramo, Director, ILO Office Brasilia
• GTZ: Ms. Thurau /Ms. Herlt, GTZ office São Paulo
• VW: To be nominated by VW
• Volkswagen Workers' Council: Mr. Wagner
• Ministry of Labour/ Labour inspectorate: Mr. Nilton Freitas (Govt.)
• Trade Unions: CNM-CUT/Forca Syndical or DIEESE
• Employer Organizations: Mr. Dagoberto Lima Godoy, Director - Confederação Nacional da Industria (CNI)

The first round of project activities is scheduled for August 2006, including the first project steering committee meeting and the process optimization visits in VW suppliers' premises.

Process Optimization Consultancies

A process optimization team composed of labour inspectors and other occupational health and safety experts from a multi-national enterprise inspect the suppliers' facilities and consult with enterprise workers' representatives on how to improve the workplace. Implementation of the recommendations given during the enterprise visit, show that both productivity and occupational health and safety performance can be increased with rather small efforts if competent advice was provided.

National Activities on Labour Inspection and Forced Labour

The government of Brazil has been very active in promoting the ILO Decent Work agenda at national level. Activities comprise a labour inspection task force to fight forced labour. In this regard, law enforcement has been enhanced with positive results. A Special Mobile Inspection Group (GEFM) has been strengthened while 150 new inspectors were assigned in priority areas were forced labour is concentrated. In 2003, approx 4,900 workers were freed. The Government of Brazil has also indicated that publication of the names of employers who are repeat offenders in the area of forced labour has enabled public institutions to restrict their access to credit, subsidies and social benefits.