Production Resumes At General Motors’ São Caetano Do Sul Plant

Earlier this month, GM Authority reported that a workers’ strike had disabled the General Motors complex in São Caetano do Sul, the automaker’s first local facility and the longest-running vehicle factory in Brazil. After almost two weeks of inactivity, several sources familiar with the matter confirmed that the company has resumed production at the São Caetano do Sul plant.

The São Caetano do Sul plant resumed vehicle production on Thursday, October 14, after the end of the workers’ strike that started on the first day of the month by the Metalworkers Union of the Brazilian city. The workforce decided to go on an indefinite strike with the aim of demanding greater benefits from the manufacturer during the new collective agreement negotiations.

However, union leaders were forced to comply with a court order from the São Paulo State Regional Labor Court that ordered the end of the strike and the return of employees to work last Thursday. The president of the labor organization, Aparecido Inácio da Silva, told local media that if they did not end the strike, the court would declare it illegal and they would be exposed to fines from the authorities.

This led workers to return to the production lines of the São Caetano do Sul plant, where the Chevy Tracker, Chevy Joy, Joy Plus and Chevy Spin are currently manufactured, albeit at a lower rate of productivity. On September 27^th, GM Brazil had started the second shift at the São Caetano factory to double Tracker production, but the union decided to resume activities in a single shift to keep pressure on the company.

“GM has made every effort to come up with a proposal that is fair to both parties. Considering the current economic scenario and the impacts of the pandemic, we hope to be able to fully resume production [at the São Caetano do Sul plant] as soon as possible,” said GM Brazil’s communication department in a press release.

In addition, GM reported that the São Paulo Regional Labor Court will also resolve the points that were left without conciliation in the round of negotiations between the representatives of the company and the union. Among them is the proposal of adaptation in the drafting of a medical clause of the collective agreement, the granting of food stamps and a regulation for the discount of the business contribution.

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