Brazil bishops deplore gov't decree on slave labor
CNBB Secretary-General Don Leonardo Steiner
The National Conference of Bishops of Brazil (CNBB) described as inhumane the decree issued by the Ministry of Labor, which changed the rules for the classification of and fight against slave labor.
“The initiative eliminates hard-fought legal protections against slave labor, limiting it to forced labor with restrained freedom to come and go. It also makes room for exhausting work days and degrading conditions, hindering inspection, law enforcement, punishments, and the eradication of slavery by the Brazilian state,” the note, released Thursday (Oct. 26), reads.
CNBB Secretary-General Don Leonardo Steiner said the move “weakens the power of the fight against slave labor” as it changes the definition of this practice and the means to investigate and punish. In his view, people should not be treated as objects of greed. “A human being has their grandeur, their dignity, and I believe that we, as Brazilian society, want to take care of our brothers and sisters that work and work in menial work, which we do not wish to be forced.”
Translated by Fabrício Ferreira
Fonte: Brazil bishops deplore gov't decree on slave labor
