WRITTEN QUESTION No. 3984/97 by Laura GONZÁLEZ ÁLVAREZ , Alonso PUERTA , María SORNOSA MARTÍNEZ to the Commission. The labour situation in the coal-mines in the municipality of Acalândia (Brazil)
Date: 1998-01-14
Institutions: European Parliament, GONZALEZ ALVAREZ, PUERTA, SORNOSA MARTINEZ
Subjects: Brazil, child labour, child protection, coal, coal industry, human rights, miner, non-governmental organisation, occupational safety, safety standard

C 196/48

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

22. 6. 98

(98/C 196/65)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3984/97

by Laura Gonza·lez A· lvarez (GUE/NGL), Alonso Puerta (GUE/NGL)
and Mar(cid:14)·a Sornosa Mart(cid:14)·nez (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(14 January 1998)

Subject: The labour situation in the coal-mines in the municipality of Acala(cid:136)ndia (Brazil)

The Centre for the Protection of Life and Human Rights in Acala(cid:136)ndia is an NGO working for the recognition of
citizenship and against slave labour and overexploitation in the coal-mines.

This NGO has been denouncing the exploitation and near-enslavement of workers in the Acala(cid:136)ndia coal-mines,
where there are continual accidents owing to poor working conditions and work is being done by a group of
children under 15 years old. According to information supplied by the NGO some of these coal-mines belong to
the Viena and Pindare· steelworks.

Can the Commission say whether it knows of these reports? Can it say whether it is monitoring the agreements
between  the  EU  and  Brazil  and  Mercosur  to  ensure  that  the  Brazilian  Government  enforces  internationally
recognized labour standards and conditions and the ban on child labour?

Answer given by Mr Mar(cid:14)·n on behalf of the Commission

(3 February 1998)

The  Commission  is,  naturally,  aware  of  the  abusive  working  practices  and  conditions  which  may  prevail,  in
particular in mines, and sometimes involve children.

A  large  number  of  associations,  a  variety  of  organisations,  non-governmental  organisations  or  private
individuals draw the attention of the Commission to similar cases, which generally affect extremely deprived and
defenceless communities.

Exploitation (or worse) of workers arises from unsatisfactory economic and social conditions which result in
situations of this type. Changing those conditions is a long-term task.

It  is  reasonable  to  believe,  however,  that  action  taken  by  the  Commission  in  its  total  relations  with  partner
countries › and specifically cooperation with Brazil › is precisely designed to remedy this kind of situation
upstream.

Consequently, whenever action is liable to be effective, the Commission endeavours according to the facts in its
possession to lobby the authorities through whichever channels it finds most appropriate.

(98/C 196/66)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3992/97

by Alexandros Alavanos (GUE/NGL) to the Council

(15 January 1998)

Subject: Racist violence in Germany

According to data from the Federal Anti-Crime Agency, assaults by neo-Nazis have risen by 14% since last year,
bringing the total to 5 173, the victims being Portuguese, Italians, Turks, Greeks and other workers.

One  victim  of  such  violence  was  the  Greek  immigrant,  Anastassios  Dalakouras,  who  was  seriously  injured
following an assault by right-wing extremists on 8 November 1997 in a village in Brandenburg.