Process of negotiation of people affected by Samarco (Vale/BHP Billiton) starts

Published Wednesday 18/11/2015 – 21:16

The Movement of People Affected by Dams (MAB), Mariana Archdiocese, government agencies, and other organizations of civil society and the mining company Samarco (Vale/BHP Billiton) met in the afternoon of Wednesday (18) in Mariana (MG) at a negotiating table mediated by the state government to discuss the impacts caused by the company due to the disruption of the tailings dams.

The table started with testimonies of those affected from the districts of Bento Rodrigues, Paracatu and the city of Barra Longa (affected by the mud) and also of Governador Valadares and Periquitos, affected by the contamination of the river Rio Doce.

“Whatever the company do to compensate each one here is small compared to what the company have already taken from this region and this state, whatever the company will do is not even close to the damage caused,” said the fisherman Moisés Gomes, from the municipality of Periquito.

The Movement of People Affected by Dams (MAB) presented the agenda collectively constructed by those affected, which includes an emergency plan for decent housing and a minimum wage maintenance amount for each person affected, quality resettlement and restructuring of productive activities, survey of the damage and recovery plan for the entire basin and the broad participation of those affected in all stages of the process.

Joceli Andrioli, of MAB, also denounced Samarco for violating a fundamental right of the people affected which is the right of autonomous-organizing. Some participants denounced that the company have tried to hinder the participation of the people affected, impeding activists of the movement to entry the hotels where the victims are hosted and restraining the autonomous organizing within MAB.

Estanislau Klein, coordinator of social-institutional development of Samarco (Vale/BHP Billiton) defended him-self of this accusation affirming that the company “has been concerned in ensuring participation of those affected”. Unlike the proposal presented by MAB, the company representative affirmed that the company will pay a minimum salary per family with 20% increase for dependents (children/adolescents).

It has been questioned if this amount proposed by the company is enough to guarantee the people’s affected livelihoods who are not anymore in a rural area, but in the city of Mariana, where the living costs is higher and besides that they don’t have any other income. The representative merely answered that this is how the company defined to meet an emergency issue.

About the resettlement, he said that: “there will be a process to build the solutions, ensuring those affected participation and that they need to express their needs”. MAB and the Central Workers Union of the state of Minas Gerais (CUT-MG) questioned the company’s control over such participation. “Samarco may not coordinate fully and alone the treatment to the people affected by the damage Samarco caused”, said Beatriz, president of the CUT-MG.

Life in first place

Father Geraldo Martins Dias, representing the Archdiocese of Mariana, asked for a process of dialogue to solve the problems in defense of life in all dimensions, life should be put in first place. Besides, he also criticized the mining activities: “This tragedy makes us rethink profoundly the mining policies in Brazil”.

Also attended to the meeting representatives of the Municipal Chamber of Mariana, The Legislative Assembly of Minas Gerais, The Public Prosecutor, Public Defender and various organizations of the government and civil society.

As outcome of the meeting the president of the table, Claudius Pereira (Cohab), said that the table will continue gathering every Wednesday in Mariana or other towns of the Vale do Rio Doce basin. “In the coming meetings will be dealt with practical issues and to seek to build an agenda along the Vale basin”.