Social movements manifest against Vale and other large corporations

The social movements of the People’s Summit performed an act against the transnational company Vale in front of their headquarters in Rio de Janeiro. About 3,000 people from social movements such as Via Campesina and the World March of Women attented the action coordinated by the International Network of People Affected by Vale.

Vale was chosen as a symbolic target to represent international corporations whose practices do not respect workers, degrade the environment and rob peoples of control over their territories.

“Vale uses the same strategy in all countries of the world. In Mozambique, 1365 families are suffering repression since 2004. Vale violates the rights of workers, negating safety and hygiene and already controls big part of north-central Mozambique, through the construction of a railway line “Jeremiah Vunjanhe denounced, an activist of the NGO Environmental Justice, who had been prevented from entering Brazil last week.

In addition to social problems, the protesters focused on the environmental impacts of the company. “We are here, too, with a report of unsustainability, the fruit of a year of research, to dismantle the statements of sustainability the company declares itself” said Father Dario Bossi, from the Pastoral Land Commission (CPT). Bossi cited examples of the impact the construction of the steel plant TKCSA whose pollution has been demonstrated by several studies, and that is being investigated by the Public Prosecutor, and a doubling of the Carajas railroad, in the north that threatens to double the existing impacts of mining in the Amazon region.

Scott, from the United Steelworkers Union denounced the appalling conditions faced by workers of Vale in Canada. The company led to the largest strike in Canadian history, which lasted 11 months between 2009 and 2010, because Vale used the recent global crisis as an excuse to fire out a lot of workers, lower wages and increase working hours, among other setbacks on workers’ rights. “That’s a shame” said. In Canada, only this year, 16 deaths of workers at Vale’s operations have been recorded.

Adelaide, of the Xingu Forever Alive Movement, reported the privatisation process of the Amazon region driven by the construction of Belo Monte, whith Vale as partner in the construction consortium. Larissa, of the World March of Women, denounced how the activities of companies such as Vale affect women in particular, with the increase of prostitution and violence. Moses, of the Movement of People Affected by Dams (MAB), denounced the process of criminalization of people fighting against large corporations.

During the ceremony, a video was projected on the wall of the building company, illustrating of the problems caused by multinationals. Protesters also threw red paint on the building to symbolize the blood trail left by Vale and similar corporations.
“Transnational corporations are to blame for the delay of the people. We can not allow to continue the rich being rich and poor being poor” said Jairo Rubio of the Via Campesina in Colombia.

Vale, which is present in 38 countries in America, Africa and Asia has been voted the worst company in the world by popular vote, a prize denounced by Public Eye Award.