Protest regarding murder of Brazilian trade unionist

H.E. Mr Carlos Augusto R. Santos-Neves
Embassy of Brazil
32 Green Street
London
W1K 7AT

Dear Ambassador

Murder of trade union leader Augusto Lima da Cruz

On behalf of the Trades Union Congress representing British workers and the 6.2 million members of our affiliated unions I am contacting you to register our deep concern and condemnation of the murder of Augusto Lima da Cruz leader of the metalworkers' union Sindicato dos Metalugicos.

Mr Lima da Cruz was killed on 1 October by two shots allegedly fired by Hernani Puga Neto, a security guard employed at the Sony company in Distrito Industrial. Witnesses report that Mr Neto fled the murder scene on a motorbike protected by other guards after killing Mr Lima da Cruz.

We fully recognise the massive steps taken in Brazil in recent years to expand social protection systems and enforce laws designed to support basic workers rights, including tackling forced labour. However we urge your government to take the immediate necessary steps to find and prosecute those responsible for the murder of trade unionists and to put in place measures which will guarantee the respect of fundamental rights for all Brazilian workers and the effective enforcement of all of the ILO core labour standards in Brazil

Yours sincerely

Brendan Barber

General Secretary