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Vale and BHP Biliton and SITICOP, CNQ-CUT, BWI, and IndustriALL
Lead NCPBrazil
Supporting NCP(s)
DescriptionSpecific instance submitted by SITICOP, CNQ-CUT, BWI, and IndustriALL concerning Vale and BHP Billiton’s employment and labour relations.
Theme(s)General policies, Disclosure, Human rights, Environment, Employment and industrial relations
Date26 Mar 2018
Host country(ies)Brazil
SourceMulti-stakeholder, Trade Union, NGO
Industry sectorMining and quarrying
StatusConcluded
Summary

Read the final statement issued by the Brazilian NCP - 1 November 2019


On 23 March 2018, the Brazilian NCP received a specific instance from the International Building and Wood Workers International (BWI), IndustriALL Global Union, Sindicato dos Trabalhadores nas Indústrias de Construção Pesada de Minas Gerais (SITICOP) and Confederação Nacional do Setor Químico (CNQ/CUT) trade unions, alleging that Samarco, a Brazilian company and joint venture between Vale S.A. and BHP operating in the mining sector, did not observe the Guidelines. The submitters allegations include that Samarco failed to fully compensate the families of the victims of the November 2015 Fundão dam collapse and that the company did not respect workers’ rights, and work and safety conditions.

On 1 November 2019, the NCP published its final statement concluding the case. Vale S.A. requested the termination of the specific instance, and as a result of a lack of engagement from the company, no mediation took place. In its final statement NCP published a number of recommendations to the company, including that it should carry out and increase resources for due diligence, and exercise its leverage over Samarco in order to align its conduct with the OECD Guidelines.