Finnish and Brazilian paper workers’ unions cooperate to improve working conditions at Veracel pulp mill Helsinki (16.09.2007 - The agreement raised wages, overtime allowances and productivity bonuses. It also improved the day care system and transportation of employees to and from the mill. This positive development is partly due to cooperation between Brazilian and Finnish paper workers’ unions, Sinap and Paperiliitto. Cooperation between the two unions is mainly carried out in the form of a project. It was established in 2005. The goal of the project is to organize Veracel’s employees and to improve their chances of safeguarding their interests. The collective agreement would not have been achievable had it not been possible to awaken the majority’s belief in union work. The organising rate or union membership of those permanently employed rose to 80 per cent by the end of 2006. Another important novelty was the democratic election of workers’ representatives onto the occupational safety committee that actively seeks ways to enhance safety at the mill. The project, which is planned to continue until the end of 2008, is partly financed by the Finnish Paper Workers’ One of the actual challenges is to expand the coverage of the collective agreement at Veracel, Sinap’s delegation made clear in late August during their visit to For example eucalyptus plantation workers would like to be covered by the agreement applied at the mill. Still now it is even forbidden in the legislation, inherited from the period of military dictatorship in The Finnish paper workers’ union Paperiliitto has plenty of experience in the fight against outsourcing that would weaken workers’ working conditions. The union is happy to share these experiences with their Brazilian colleagues. Veracel has made fat profits Veracel pulp mill is owned by two forest industry giants, the Brazilian Aracruz and the Finnish-Swedish conglomerate Stora Enso. The mill has capacity to produce million tons of pulp per annum. Production began in 2005. It gets its raw material from the near-by eucalyptus plantations. Veracel’s results fully fulfil its owners’ expectations. “Veracel, probably, is the world’s most profitable hardwood pulp mill”, Stora Enso’s CEO Jouko Karvinen stated on 10 September in Karvinen told the audience that encouraged by Veracel’s economic achievements Stora Enso and Aracruz have already planned to double Veracel’s capacity to two million tons of pulp per annum. Lula is keen on the idea as he wants to see Finnish companies expand their investments in Read more:
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