uBank employment falls 29% in 10 years

uRio Tinto will invest US$ 650 million in new steel center

uPresident of Shell-Brazil speaks with employees about the company's future

uCommercial workers in Campina Grande reach agreement with BomPreço/Wal-Mart

uSeminar to create a network between unions in U.S. companies

uCarrefour plans expansion in Brazil

September 13 - 14
Unionism and Social Responsibility Workshop. Union Connection and CONTAG. Brasilia.

September 29 - 30
Meeting of Unilever Unions.

October 20
Continental Workshop for struggle at the ABN-Amro Bank. Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina, Uruguay and Chile.

November 6 - 15
IV German-Brazil-Holland Exchange. In Germany

November 20 - 30
V German-Brazil-Holland Exchange. In Holland.

Bank employment falls 29% in 10 years

Combined bank profits in Brazil in the past 10 years grew from R$ 9,6 billion in 1994 to R$ 21,7 billion last year, a jump of 126%. In the same period, the number of bank employees fell 29% from 571.2 thousand to 405.4 thousand, according to Minsitry of Labor statistics.

The data was compiled by the Valor Econômico newspaper which also emphasized that decreased bank employment is related to various factors, including technology.

Internet service, for example accounted for 11.27% of bank operations in 2003 according to data from the national bank association Fenabam. The tool practically did not exist for the general public 10 years ago. Self-service at automatic teller machines accounted for 32.37% of banking services, while traditional tellers handled only 18.9%.

Another explanation for the decrease in personnel is that with inflation under control, the number of financial operations conducted by internal bank personnel fell drastically.

Concentration in the sector, stimulated by the wave of bank mergers in the late 1990's and the beginning of the new decade was another factor that influenced the cuts, according to Ana Carolina Tosetti, of the Interunion Department of Statistics and Social-Economic Studies (Dieese).

The number of bank workers reached its lowest level in 2001, 393.1 thousand employees, after the purchase of Banespa by Santander. In the 1980's, the category had more than 800 thousand employees.

Source: Valor Econômico

Rio Tinto will invest
US$ 650 million in new steel center

The Rio Tinto mining company anounced a US$ 650 million investment plan for Brazil. The amount to be invested over three years is greater than all that invested by the British-Australian company in the 33 years that it has operated in Brazil.

The world's second largest iron ore producer, the mining company will invest in expansion of its mine at Corumbá, Mato Grosso do Sul State and in the development of a mining and steel processing complex in partnership with the Argentine Techint group, to produce 1 million tons of iron and steel. In addition to development of the complex at Corumbá, the company is researching bauxite and diamond mining in Brazil, but should terminate gold exploration.

Source: Valor.

Seminar to create a network
between unions in U.S. companies

To debate the behavior of U.S. companies in Bahia is one of the goals of the seminar the Chemical and Petroleum workers union is organizing for September 11. The event plans to bring together unionists who operate in U.S.-based companies located in Bahia. For the organizers, this meeting should be the frist step towards construction of a collective of unions that operate in the different union companies.

"We have noted that the companies of U.S. capital have a quite universal profile. At the same time, the union activities at the companies do not have effective results in promoting improved working conditions. The formation of a network of workers unions of different companies can strengthen our position", maintained Delsuc Gomes, union director and employee of the Millennium company.

The program will be opened by a speech from Carolyn Kasdyn, representative in Brazil of the Solidarity Center, a union entity linked to the U.S. AFL-CIO union center. She will speak about the union structure in the United States, the form of collective bargaining in that country, as well as the global exchanges and campaigns in which the entity participates.

Among the U.S. companies found in Bahia are: Air Products, Dow Chemical, DuPont, Halliburton, Millennium, Monsanto, Química Geral do Nordeste (QGN - Church & Dwight), Ucar, White Martins Xerox.

More information: Sindicato dos Trabalhadores do Ramo Químico/ Petroleiro (BA), phone (71) 243-8788 and e-mail: secretaria@sind.org.br

Carrefour plans expansion in Brazil

The French supermarket chain Carrefour planned to invest nearly 500 million euros (US$ 603.9 million) in Brazil in the next 3 years to regain its participation in the local market, according to an article published in the French Les Echos, newspaper.

The investments began to be realized in 2005, when Carrefour planned to open nearly 12 new stores. At the end of the year, the group will begin a publicity campaign.

Carrefour has lost market share recently to the Brazilian Pão de Açúcar group. According to Carrefour, its sales in Brazil should grow 8 percent this year and should have a "strong resurgence" in 2005-2006, according to the food sales director of Carrefour in São Paulo, Franck Pierre.

Source: UOL Notícias.