Declaração do Seminário Internacional Nanotecnologia e Sociedade na América Latina: Nanotecnologia e Trabalho

                

27 September 2013

Scientists and trade unions in Latin America together for precaution on nanotechnologies at the workplace

ETUI News

The International Workshop on Nanotechnology & Society in Latin America gathered scientists, researchers and trade unionists from North, Central and South America at the Federal University in Parana in Curitiba, Brazil on the 5 and 6 of September. It was organised as a framework bringing together trade unionists and academia. ETUI's Aida Ponce, head of unit working conditions, health and safety presented the views and perspectives developed by the European trade union movement.

The workshop was co- organised by the Center for Nanotechnology in Society, University of California-Santa Barbara (UCSB). Prof. Richard Appelbaum from the UCSB, stressed the potential of nanotechnologies in changing human lives and the possibility that social inequalities might increase; enough reason to adopt regulations that guarantee the participation of workers who are affected by the industry.

Different countries shared cases of how safety measures are adopted. For instance, surveys in the US had shown little response of companies and few answers on adopting health and safety measures and various countries mentioned that there are serious challenges in the waste sector. Prof . Flavio Orlando Plentz Filho, Coordinator of Micro and Nanotechnologies at the Ministry of Science, technology and Innovation in Brazil, presented the policy in Brazil which has invested a significant amount of public funds in infrastructure to develop nanotechnologies and nanomaterials.

For the Latina American Trade Unions, collective agreements should include the right of information to workers possibly exposed to nanomaterials at the workplace. Specific precautions should be taken in the agriculture sector, notably updating the Codex Alimentarious. For the researchers and scientists, the role of the international collaboration in the field is of utmost importance, to avoid scientific developments without a precautionary approach and to provide a science that serves human beings.

A seguinte declaração foi emitida no Workshop Internacional Nanotecnologia e Sociedade na América Latina: Nanotecnologia e Trabalho, em Curitiba, Brasil, em 5 de setembro de 2013.

The following statement was issued at the International Workshop on Nanotechnology & Society in Latin America: Nanotechnology & Labor, in Curitiba, Brazil on 5^th September 2013.

La siguiente declaración fue emitida en el Seminario Internacional Nanotecnología y Sociedad en América Latina: Nanotecnología y Trabajo, en Curitiba, Brasil, el 5 de septiembre de 2013.

Declaração 

Os assinantes desta declaração, resultante do Seminário Internacional Nanotecnologia e Sociedade na América Latina: Nanotecnologia e Trabalho demandam que:

• As empresas se comprometam a informar os sindicatos quando incorporem nanomateriais manufaturados ou nanoestruturas em seus processos produtivos ou seus produtos. 
• Que os governos e as organizações internacionais, tais como OMS, OIT e FAO se comprometam a adotar enfoques de precaução para a proteção dos trabalhadores em seus políticas e recomendações de saúde e segurança relativas à nanotecnologia. 

Statement 

The signers of this declaration, resulting from the International Workshop on Nanotechnology & Society in Latin America: Nanotechnology & Labor do hereby demand that: 

• Enterprises commit themselves to inform Trade unions whenever they incorporate engineered nanomaterials on nano structures in their product processes or their products 
• Governments and international organizations such as WHO, ILO, and FAO commit to adopt precautionary approaches for worker protection related to nanotechnology in their safety and health policies and recommendations 

Declaración 

Los firmantes de esta declaración, resultante del Seminario Internacional Nanotecnología y Sociedad en América Latina: Nanotecnología y Trabajo demandan que:

• Las empresas se comprometan a informar a los sindicatos cuando incorporen nanomateriales manufacturados o nano-estructuras en sus procesos productivos o sus productos 
• Los gobiernos y organizaciones internacionales tales como la OMS, OIT y FAO se comprometan a adoptar enfoques precautorios para la protección de los trabajadores en sus políticas y recomendaciones sobre salud y seguridad relativas a la nanotecnología.

To sign: http://action.ciel.org/p/salsa/web/questionnaire/public/?questionnaire_KEY=1495&key=677816

Assinantes - Signatories - Firmantes

Enildo Iglesias, UITA (Unión Internacional de Trabajadores de la Alimentación, Agricultura

y Afines)

Richard Appelbaum, UCSB – CNS (University of California at Santa Barbara, Center for

Nanotechnology in Society) (signing as individual, not on behalf of UCSB-CNS)

Noela Invernizzi, UFPR (Universidade Federal do Paraná)

Guillermo Foladori, UAZ (Universidad Autónoma de Zacatecas)

Édgar Záyago Lau, UAZ (Universidad Autónoma de Zacatecas)

Bill Kojola, AFL-CIO (American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial

Organizations)

Aída Ponce del Castillo, ETUI (European Trade Union Institute)

David Azoulay, CIEL (Center for International Environmental Law)

Arline Arcuri, FUNDACENTRO (Ministério do Trabalho e Emprego), Sao Paulo

Paulo Martins, RENANOSOMA (Rede Nanotecnologia Sociedade e Meio Ambiente)

Luis Carlos de Oliveira, Sindicato dos Metalúrgicos de São Paulo - Confederação dos

Trabalhadores Metalúrgicos - Secretaria de Saude do Trabalhador da Força

Sindical CNT – Força Sindical (Confederação Nacional dos Trabalhadores - Força

Sindical)

Siderlei de Oliveira, CNT-CONTAC (Confederação Nacional dos Trabalhadores - Indústrias

da Alimentação, Agroindústrias, Cooperativas de Cereais e Assalariados Rurais)

Thomaz Ferreira Jensen, DIEESE (Departamento Intersindical de Estatística e Estudos

Socioeconômicos), São Paulo

Anwar Hasmy, Red Venezolana de Nanotecnología

Luís Renato Balbão Andrade, FUNDACENTRO (Ministério do Trabalho e Emprego) - Rio

Grande do Sul.

Ma. Sonsiré López, Instituto Venezolano de Investigaciones Científicas.

Leandro Andrini, UNLP (Universidad Nacional de La Plata)

José Roberto Vega Baudrit, Laboratorio Nacional de Nanotecnología, Costa Rica

Eduardo Robles Belmont, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México

Michelle de Lara Ferraz, Universidade Federal do Paraná

Roberto del Barco, UTO (Universidad Técnica de Oruro)

Paulo Fonseca, Universidade de Coimbra

Wasleska Laureth, Universidade Federal do Paraná

Wilson Engelmann, Universidade do Vale do Rio dos Sinos, Rio Grande do Sul.

Ramiro Chimuris, Plataforma Derechos Económicos, Sociales, Culturales y Ambientales

(Descam) Uruguay; Comité para la Anulación de la Deuda del Tercer Mundo (CADTM);

Red CADTM- AYMA (Red CADTM para América Latina y Caribe); Universidad de Buenos

Aires - Facultad de Derecho Cátedra de Deuda Externa.

Cleci Körbes, Universidade Federal do Paraná

Santiago José Alejandro Figueroa - CNPEM-LNLS (signing as individual, not on behalf of CNPEM-LNLS)