Document EdLNGm5mxx8jn2LYZbxxwELNg

FILE NAME: Eternit (ETER) DATE: 1998 DOC#: ETER047 DOCUMENT DESCRIPTION: Letters of Support for Fernanda SOCIETY FOR O C C U P A T I O N A L AND E N V I R O N M E N T A L HEALTH A n Interna tion al S ociety SQEH 6728 Old McLean Village Drive McLean, Virginia 22101 October 19,1998 Telephone: 703 556-9222 Facsimile: 703 556-8729 MM. Sr(a). Dr(a). Juiz(iza) de Direito da Vara Criminal Dear Judge: E-Mail: soeh@degnon.org Web: www.soeh.org We are writing to protest the effort of Eternit S.A. to get the Criminal Court of the Regional District of Pinheiros to prosecute Work Safety Engineer Fernanda Giannasi for defamation under the Penal Code. The basis for the company's petition to the Court is a publicly distributed letter entitled "Misleading Propaganda of the Asbestos Industry in the Medical Journals of the Third World". In this article, it was charged that the industry's propaganda campaign was intended to "facilitate activities which are no longer allowed in the home countries of the industries, because of the fact that asbestos is banned in 11countries." Eternit is a perfect example of this. Eternit is a subsidiary of Saint Gobain Pont-aMousson, a French multinational corporation. When asbestos was banned in France last year, St. Gobain converted its asbestos-cement building products plants to make glass-fiber-cement products. Evidently for financial reasons, St. Gobain has not transferred this technology to Brazil, where Eternit still mines asbestos and makes asbestos-cement building products. Dr. Giannasi's letter went on to criticize Eternit for promoting out-of-court settlements with hundreds of former employees of its asbestos operations. She criticized Eternit and the doctors Eternit hired (who had formerly been approached by an asbestos victims' organization with no funds to pay for their services) to become part of the medical scheme established in these settlement documents drawn up by Eternit's lawyers. We understand that civil courts in Brazil have now stated that these settlement arrangements were unethical and have no legal standing. We agree with Judge Carlos Eduardo Ferraz de Mattos Barroso (3a. Vara Civel da Capital) that these settlements are highly questionable because they have been made between a powerful economic group and factory workers who clearly suffer from inadequate understanding and legal representation. We agree with Judge Alexandre David Malfatti (27a. Vara Civel da Capital) that Eternit devised a sneaky trick in order to get people to sign extra-judicial documents which would give up the victims' rights to sue Eternit for compensation for occupational disease, disability and the company's negligence. The Society for Occupational and Environmental Health is an international professional organization of scientists, doctors, engineers, and other professionals who are working to protect workers and society in general from workplace health hazards. We are extremely concerned that an asbestos company has gone to criminal court to ^ prosecute and silence Fernanda Giannasi, an occupational health professional who is known and respected all over the world. Dr. Giannasi has been a tireless protector of the health of her fellow citizens in the face of tremendous opposition from employers during her 15 years at the Ministry of Labor. We urge the Criminal Court to dismiss the ridiculous charges Eternit has tried to institute against her. This response from the Court would not only permit and encourage Dr. Giannasi to continue her valuable work in Brazil. It would also send a message to foreign corporations that Brazil is not going to accept the role of being a dumping ground for discredited, hazardous industries. Respectfully, The Officers, Board Members, and membership of the Society for Occupational and Environmental Health American Public Health Association 202/789-5610001;5FFaxif:t2e0e2n/t7h89S-t5r6e6e1t,Ne.-Wma.il:cWomamsheinntsg@tomn,smDa.iCl..ap2h0a0.0or5g-26h0t5tp://www.aphaorg October 16, 1998 Mohammad N. AEkxhetceurt,ivMeDD,irMecPtHor EPixnmheoi.roSsr. Dr. Juiz de Direito da Vara Criminal do Foro Regionalde Rua Filinto de Almeida, 69 05439-030 Pinheiros, Sao Paulo BRASIL Processo No. 561/98 Dear Sir: eOfnfobrtehoaflEf toefmthite, SA.mA.ertiocapnroPsuecbulitceHFeeranltahndAassGoicainantiaosni,(aAWPHoArk),SIaafemtywErnitginingeteor pfororttehset the Ministry of Labor, for fulfilling the responsibilities of her profession to protect the health of workers from the dangers of asbestos. AadPvHanAc,incgonthsiestninagtioonf'smhoeraeltthh,aonp5p0o,s0e0s0dpaunbgleicrohuesawlthorpkrionfgescsoinodniatlisondsedaincdateefdfotorts to uannddetromthineedtuhee prirgohctesssofowf loarwkewrsh.eWn tohrokseersrihgahvtsehthaveeribgehetntoviaoslaatfeeda.nTdhheeablethhayvwioorrokfplace Eprtoesmeictu, tSio.An.a, gtoaibnostthsuinchtimaiddeadteicwatoerdkperrsofienstsoiognivailnwghuopsethweiorrrkigihstcsruancidaltotobrthinegpaeocprilme ionfal Brazil, is reprehensible. The global economy has contributed to the mobility of industries and jobs in the world market. However, it is imperative that toxic or hazardous products banned in one lborcinagti.onItairseanlsoot aimlsopeerxaptiovretethdaetlksenwowhelreed,gaelaobnlge wanidthdtehdeicdaisteedasheesaaltnhdpdriosfaebsisliitoinesaltshaenyd labor representatives be allowed to carry out their responsibilities to protect the health and safety of workers. WyoeujtooinditshmeiessffothretsbeycthhaergSeosciaegtyainfosrt FOecrcnuapnadtaioGnaialnannadsiEsnovitrhoantmsheentmalayHceoalntthinaunedtuorgcaerry out this important work. Sincerely, MExoehcaumtivmeaDd iNre.cAtokrhter, MD, MPH MAN/dh 125 Years o/Leadership in Public Health T &.G CENTRAL OFFICE Transport House Palace Street Victoria London SW1E 5JD Telephone: 0171 828 7788 Facsimile: 0171 630 5861 Your Ref: ODautreR: ef: CExotnetnacsito: n: a9sNb9o8v.e2m0ber 1998 AJPDalton 3505/3507 Tn whom it mav concern U/UA . -Ia/\ The Eternit (Brazil) lawsuit against Brazilian Labour Inspector and^afe^ Engineer, Fernanda Giannasi - Eternit (Brazil) is a subsidy of the French multinational, St Gobain. 21 TTehnisclborsaevae LdeatbaoiluerdIancscpoeuctnotro, fwthhoisstpraovkeestayt tohfejuUsKticPe.arliamentttry lobby agamst asbestos ipnubFleibcrtuhaeryho1r9ri9f8ic(h1e9rthfcaerentwurays cpoaniddibtiyonthsefoUrKBTrarzaidlieanUamsobnesCtoosnwgroerskse)r,sh(aJs. eOxcpto. saendd" . 3 fhe shouldbe1awarded a medal, not the threat of a defamation lawsuit! An attack upon her ' iusnaionnasttaancdkcuopmonmaulnl iLtiaebsowuhroanhdavFeacftoourgyhitntshpeedcteoardsl'ywhoarzladrwdisdoe^f Iatsbiseastnosatotavcekr omnatnryadyeears. And, most of all, it is an attack - and a grave insult - to, the memory of past, current a 4 fFuotrurtheessueffreeraisnognssoift amlluastsbbeestroess-isdtiesdeawseithvitchteimfuslwl oinrtledrwniadteio!nal force of public opinion and action. Eternit (Brazil) and St Gobain (France) must be forced to approve the following * mWainthifdersatwo:the legal action at once. ,,, , Apologise in public to Fernanda Giannasi and pay in full her legal, and any other, Banmortohneriuastee poafyamlleanstbteostaonsyinasabllesthtoesi-rvcioctmimpsanthieesy' waroerrldeswpiodnesaibnlde mtoar.ke full and MI hEaPves sNenGtOthsisetlce.ttaenrdtomthaneyUoKthTerUcCo,nItnactetsr.naItsioungagletsrtatdheeufonliloonws,inmgefmorbmerssoffapc^tio`na.ment* That the workers in Eternit (Brazil) and St Gobain (France) be approached for support to !!'i\T a t demonstrations take place outside Eternit (Brazil) and St Gobain (France) plants with . lTehttaetrseatochCchoiuenftEryxedcesmdoenmsatrnadteinsgotuhtissidmeathneifeBsrtaozbileiasnupanpodrFterde.nch Embassies (or equivalent) with these manifesto demands. , . That letters / e-mails / faxes of support and action are sent to her Fernanda Giannasi, In thAevUenKidaanJdantdhieraE6U4,7w/Aeprteoc.en1t1ly4-b0e4a0t8t0h-e00C4a-nMadoieamnaa,sSbeasotoPsaulolobbBy raanadl.we will beat the Brazilian/ Fmnch asbestos industry victimisation of Fernanda. H,story .s on our and her stde!