Trabalho escravo: Vamos abolir de vez essa vergonha. PEC do Trabalho Escravo

Appeal to the Brazilian Congress to pass the Constitutional amendment concerning expropriation of lands where slave labor has been found.

portuguêsToday, members of Congress have the opportunity to abolish slavery in Brazil for the second time. In order to achieve this, it will be necessary to expropriate lands where slave labor has been discovered. Expropriation of lands where slave labor has been used is both just and necessary, and will be one of the chief ways of eliminating impunity.

The Brazilian Constitution mandates that rural properties must fulfill their social function. Therefore the land may not be used as a means of oppressing anyone or placing them in a state of submission. Yet when we look at this country, and particularly at the areas of the agricultural frontier, what we see are cases of landowners who reduce their workers to a state similar to slavery - defined in article 149 of the Penal Constitution as a crime.

Depriving a person of his liberty and dignity are characteristics of contemporary slavery. The slaveholder is a person who robs others of their dignity and liberty. Slavery is a violation of human rights and should be treated as such. If a land owner uses his land as an instrument of oppression, he should lose the land, without indemnity.

For this reason, I, as a friend of Brazil and citizen of the world, petition the Brazilian Congress to approve the Constitutional Amendment 438/2001 in the matter of expropriating lands where slave labor has been discovered, and designating the land for land reform. This amendment was passed by the Senate in 2003 and approved at the first hearing in the House of Deputies in 2004. Since that time the amendment has been awaiting the vote.

The time has come to abolish this shameful practice!

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Until now:

• 42934 people signed the petition on paper
• 125223 more signed the petition online

Currently: 168157 signatures

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Sign now:

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The Brazilian Coalition against Modern Slavery, in favor of "PEC 438"

Subcomissão de Combate ao Trabalho Escravo no Senado Federal, Subcomissão de Combate ao Trabalho Escravo, Degradante e Infantil na Câmara dos Deputados, Secretaria Especial de Direitos Humano, Ministério Público do Trabalho, Procuradoria Geral do Trabalho, Secretaria de Inspeção do Trabalho - Ministério do Trabalho e Emprego, Conferência Nacional dos Bispos do Brasil, Comissão Pastoral da Terra, Organização Internacional do Trabalho, Fórum Nacional da Reforma Agrária, CONTAG - Confederação Nacional dos Trabalhadores da Agricultura, MST - Movimento dos Trabalhadores Sem Terra, FETRAF - Federação dos Trabalhadores, CRS - Catholic Relief Services / Brasil, COETRAE/MA - Comissão Estadual de Erradicação do Trabalho Escravo / Maranhão, COETRA/PA - Comissão Estadual de Erradicação do Trabalho Escravo / Pará, COETRAE/TO Comissão Estadual de Erradicação do Trabalho Escravo / Tocantins, CDVDH - Centro de Defesa da Vida e dos Direitos Humanos de Açailândia/MA, ONG Repórter Brasil, SINAIT - Sindicato Nacional dos Auditores Fiscais do Trabalho, ANAMATRA - Associação Nacional dos Magistrados do Trabalho, ANPT - Associação Nacional dos Procuradores do Trabalho, ANPR - Associação Nacional dos Procuradores da República, AMB - Associação dos Magistrados Brasileiros, AJUFE - Associação dos Juízes Federais, OAB - Ordem dos Advogados do Brasil, ABRA- Associação Brasileira de Reforma Agrária, Movimento Humanos Direitos - MHuD, CEJIL - Centro Pela Justiça e o Direito Internacional, Instituto Ethos de Empresas e Responsabilidade Social, ONG Atletas pela Cidadania, SDDH - Sociedade Paraense de Defesa dos Direitos Humanos, UGT - União Geral dos Trabalhadores, CSP - Central Sindical de Profissionais, CUT - Central Única dos Trabalhadores, CTB - Central dos Trabalhadores e Trabalhadoras do Brasil, NCST - Nova Central Sindical de Trabalhadores, CONLUTAS/ ANDES, INTERSINDICAL, CGTB - Central Geral Dos Trabalhadores Do Brasil, CNT - Central Nacional de Trabalhadores, entre outros.