Reading the names of people who died or is missing after the disaster in Brumadinho
Sixty trade unionists holding different flags gathered to commemorate and seek justice to the victims of the Vale S.A. tragedy in Brumadinho earlier this year at the Quimicos ABC Trade Union auditorium. The union also held a photo exhibit of those killed and still missing due to the tragic disaster.
Two representatives of the Brumadinho Victims' Family Association, Josiane de Oliveira Melo and Josiana de Souza Resende, as well as Federal Deputy and Lawyer, Vicente Paulo da Silva, and Trade Union Advisor and Coordinator of Dam Workers Network, Eduardo Armond, attended the event. Josiane thanked the organizers for the invitation and said: "This is the first time we have been invited to exhibit pictures of the disaster".
Brumadinho Victims' Family Association usually show pictures of the dam collapse on the floor of every event in which Vale participates to protest and showcase the pain of the families who lost their loved ones due to Vale negligence.
Sample of the land after Vale's dam collapse
Josiana, talked about the families' struggle to find the bodies of those missing. She said: "We had to ask for more search dogs, since the ones working on the field so far had to be replaced due they got sick due to ground contamination and had to be replaced".
Eduardo Armond highlighted the difficulty in negotiating with Vale but despite the challenges, stated: "The social movements are now much better in articulating our demands compared to what happened after the 2015 Samarco’s accident in Mariana".
Deputy Vicente Da Silva congratulated BWI and Quimicos ABC Trade Union for the event and said: "You are representing what an international organization must work for---fighting for the working class and building a strong movement".
At the end of the ceremony, participants conducted a minute of silence and then read the names of each of the 270 dead or missing person as a result of the disaster.
"It hurts so much the way you left us"