MTE rescues 49 workers in operation carried out in Santa Bárbara de Goiás

Summary:

On October 3, 2023, the Ministry of Labor and Employment, through the Labor Inspection Secretary, conducted an operation in Santa Bu00e1rbara de Goiu00e1s, rescuing 49 workers who were forced to work in the extraction of corn husks for cigarette production for the company Sales de Oliveira, located in Su00e3o Paulo. The workers, recruited from Maranhu00e3o, Minas Gerais, and Su00e3o Paulo, were lodged in two houses in Trindade, Goiu00e1s, in precarious conditions. They were subjected to 12-hour workdays without breaks, without personal protective equipment, and had no access to bathrooms or clean water. The audit discovered conditions analogous to slavery, notifying the employer to terminate the contract and resulting in the company paying a termination settlement of R$402,000. The workers also received their unemployment benefits, and the case involved collaboration with the Federal Highway Police and the Public Ministry of Labor. The Ministry of Labor and Employment emphasized the seriousness of this crime, which can result in fines, imprisonment, and compensation for moral damages. Denunciations of similar cases can be made through the Ipu00ea system.