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Fatality at Gerdau plant in Uruguay

21 July, 2015Nery Alvarez was killed in a workplace accident at the Gerdau-Laisa steel plant in Uruguay on 14 July. IndustriALL Global Union extends its sincerest condolences to his family and colleagues.

Alvarez, a mechanic, was carrying out maintenance work in a furnace when an overhead crane hit a large graphite column, which fell on him and killed him.

Alvarez, 48, had worked for the company for 26 years. The Gerdau Workers World Council sent its condolences to his family and colleagues at this sad time.

On the day of the accident, a delegation from UNTMRA, an affiliate of IndustriALL Global Union, visited the company to express its condolences and meet his colleagues but the company denied them entry.

Fernando Lopes, Assistant General Secretary of Industriall Global Union and a member of the World Council said:

“We reiterate that Gerdau must end its anti-trade union stance and establish a channel for discussion with the Gerdau Workers World Council. It must have a serious discussion about safety at its plants and be more considerate to its workers and their families. We call on the authorities to carry out a health and safety inspection of the plant and work with the union to investigate the accident so that those responsible are punished and so that the company takes preventive and corrective measures to avoid other workers losing their lives in Gerdau plants”.