Flaskô is the last surviving factory of the Occupied Factories Movement of Brazil, after the heavy police intervention put an end to the almost five-year occupation at Cipla and Interfibra. The workforce has been demanding that the Lula government nationalises the plant, but with no serious reply. For more background information on the Flaskô occupation, and to read a letter sent by the workers to Lula, please click “A reply to Lula from the workers of the occupied Flaskô factory” .
We call on our readers to urgently send to the Brazilian authorities resolutions supporting the Flaskô workers, with the following basic content.
Model letter:
To the Mayor of Sumaré, Chairman of the Municipal Council
We have been following the struggle of the workers to defend jobs at the Flaskô occupied factory.
We realise that this is an important struggle of the working class and that it adds to the important struggle for housing of the residents of the working class neighbourhood in which the factory is situated.
We understand that much still needs to be done to resolve this issue. That is why we call on you to schedule, as arranged and recorded in the meeting of 10 February 2010, a meeting of the City Council of Sumaré, even in the month of April, in order to set in motion a procedure to find a definitive solution to the situation of the workers and local residents, and meet their demands.
Therefore, as of now, we express our full support for the struggle of the Flaskô workers and their proposed Draft Law on the People’s Initiative for the factory and all its surrounding area to be declared as a public utility, so that it can be expropriated by the competent authorities in order to save all the Flaskô jobs, guarantee land for the local residents of this working class neighbourhood and promote the cultural and sports activities of the factory, keeping Flaskô open to the community and as an example for working class struggle.
Thank you for understanding the importance of this petition, and certain of being listened to,
Signature/Name………………………..
Organisation, Place/Date
Contact (Tel/email)
To: The Honourable Mayor of Sumaré, Antonio Bachim
Fax: 00 55 (19) 3873-6238
E-mail: chefiadegabinete@sumare.sp.gov.br
To Chairman of Sumaré Council, Geraldo Medeiros
Fax: 00 55 (19) 3873-1454
Email: vereadormedeiros@sumare.sp.gov.br
With a copy to Peter Santinho – Flaskô Workers’ Council
00 55 (19) 3854-7798
E-mail: pedro.santinho@uol.com.br
And a copy to mobilizacaoflasko@yahoo.com.br
