Sign on: Protest the attacks on Dayvid Bacelar, coordinator of the United Federation of Oil Workers in Sao Francisco do Conde, Bahia, Brazil

This open letter and sign-on statement is initiated by the National Lawyers Guild International Committee, the National Lawyers Guild Labor and Employment Committee and the International Association of Democratic Lawyers.

Sign on: http://bit.ly/brazilletter

We welcome all signatures from legal and human rights organizations, lawyers, legal workers, law students and labor rights advocates.

PLEASE SIGN BEFORE WEDNESDAY, APRIL 14 at 9 AM Pacific Time (11:59 PM Eastern time) FOR INITIAL PUBLICATION/DISTRIBUTION.

We will welcome additional signatures after that time as well. If you experience any difficulties or concerns signing on with the form below, please send your signature to international@nlg.org.

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We express our disapproval of the persecution that Petrobras has been carrying out against Dayvid Bacelar, current Coordinator at the Unified Federation of Oil Workers – FUP, in São Francisco do Conde, Bahia.

The workers had been on strike at a refinery known as RLAM a part of Petrobras which is being sold to the sovereign fund of the United Arab Emirates. Mr. Bacelar was given a suspension from his job for taking part in the strike. This suspension of a Union leader is a threat to this important union and contrary to the rights of management under Brazilian labor law.

The union movement has been enduring successive attacks since the 2016 coup that led Michel Temer to the presidency. The government’s interest in weakening workers’ representation and marginalizing union actions is clear.

Workers did not expect any improvement in workers’ rights advocates’ relations during the current government, but the scenario of oppression against Dayvid Bacelar, is comparable to the horrific period of the military dictatorship. Union action is a legitimate right of all workers. Workers will not be silenced.

Dayvid Bacelar and the union workers are fighting to improve the lives of all and in the face of deteriorating conditions brought on by Petrobras’ being sold off to private entities.

We call on Petrobras and all other institutions concerned to respect labor rights, end the attacks on Dayvid Bacelar, lift the suspension and end the attacks on the labor movement.

Signed:

Sign on: http://bit.ly/brazilletter