10 September 2012

With one month to go before the Mayoral elections in Brazil, StreetNet International, trade union and social partners have written to 84 candidates in the host cities to call upon them to score a goal for their country by creating decent work opportunities for street vendors.

The letter is signed by the United Trade Union Centre (CUT) , the Trade Union Confederation of the Americas (TUCA/CSA), the Building and Wood Workers International (BWI), the General Union of Workers , and the Popular Committees of those Affected by the World Cup, together with StreetNet International.

“We argue that FIFA, the Local Organising Committee and the Host Cities should recognise their responsibility for the potential negative impact of the World Cup on the livelihoods of street vendors. Now is the moment to think again and act differently." said Vagner Freias de Moraes, President of the United Centre of Workers.

“Brazil still has time to construct a World Cup based on social inclusion and not the profits of FIFA and its commercial partners. Bur for that it is necessary to ensure decent working conditions for all who are involved in the building of the World Cup, respecting human rights and developing a sense of citizenship, not restricting rights,"said Victor Baes Mosquiera, General Secretary of the Trade Union Confederation of the Americas.

“This is a real opportunity for Mayoral candidates to re-think urban policies for the poor. Instead of treating street vendors as quasi-criminals, it is possible to include street vendors in the trading opportunities offered by the World Cup and provide longer-term solutions to improve their livelihoods,"said Nora Wintour, StreetNet International Campaigns Coordinator.

“We have written to the candidates asking them to make a public pledge that they will work towards creating decent work for all workers, including street vendors,"said Nilton Freitas, Regional Representative of the Building and Wood Workers International.

The proposals in the letter include the following:

(1) that the municipal authorities use existing or establish new bargaining forums to dialogue with the representative organisations of all the informal vendors in the different host cities;
(2) that within the Fan Miles around the Stadiums and in the Fan Parks, 50% of the stands are reserved for local informal traders who sell typical handicrafts, food and drink from the region. These stands should be allocated to the informal traders through a participatory process as established by the bargaining forums and at affordable prices, giving priority to cooperative or other social economy initiatives of traders who may otherwise lose their trading spaces, whether or not they possess valid licenses.
(3) that appropriate alternatives for informal trade in each municipality are developed in
a consultative manner; these trading sites should be conceived as long-term solutions; they should be operational both during and after the World Cup for ordinary games or events around these stadiums and Fan Miles and Fan Parks, so that there is a social legacy of the World Cup for the informal traders as well.

The letter concludes:

“We believe that as a candidate for the position of Mayor, you have an exciting and once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to put your city on the world map. By developing policies of social inclusion, respect for human rights and decent work, you can provide a global example of a sustainable World Cup legacy and pave the way for others to follow.
We urge you to support these positions through making a public written commitment to working with us to achieve these goals – goals that go far beyond football and that can become part of the proud history of a nation.”

To read the complete letter, please click here:

For more information contact:
Maira Vanucchi, StreetNet WCCA Campaigns Coordinator, Rio de Janeiro at:
mairavannuchi@gmail.com
Tel:0055-11- 911 86558
Nora Wintour, StreetNet WCCA Campaigns Coordinator, StreetNet International, Durban
norawintour@live.co.uk
Sharon Pillay, Media and Communications officer, StreetNet International, Durban
sharonpillay4@yahoo.com