Since the end of February, we have been informed about the rescue of workers in situations analogous to slavery, particularly in the state of Rio Grande do Sul. Let it be clear, however, that it is not only in this state that this intolerable and unacceptable practice occurs. However, this time, we were surprised by the audacious and abominable speech of a councilman from the city where the last facts occurred – his racist, prejudiced and execrable speech was a kind of second blow to our ears, brains, minds, why, not? in our hearts and feelings.
The despicable practice of depriving a living being, let alone a human being, of freedom based on the economic gains that that person's work may bring to its alleged and self-proclaimed "owner", is intolerable. Since Antiquity, among the Mesopotamians, Greeks, and Romans – to name just a few – the idea of holding people captive, deprived of their freedom, has thrived in some minds and cultures, varying according to different times and contexts, but always remaining ignominious. If when we read ancient history we are shocked by the thought that human beings could be considered inferior to others, simply because their tribes or nations had been defeated in one or many battles – forged in their almost entirety, by their greedy rulers and not by the inhabitants of the place, why are we not amazed in the present day, When do we read or hear that people continue to be enslaved? Slavery is definitely not a thing of the past!
It is a fact that slavery has existed "since the world began", but this horror has become more present and more evident, on an industrial scale, as Laurentino Gomes said in his book Slavery , when European settlers forcibly brought 12.5 million Africans to America, in 35 thousand voyages (!). About 5 million people with black skin were brought to Brazil.
Deprivation of liberty ( unfreedom ) can be seen in at least three ways: slavery, exploitation, and oppression. Human trafficking, debt bondage, and forced domestic labor are just a few examples.
Modern slavery, almost always unnoticed by us, affects almost 50 million people in the world. And, amazingly, 25% of them are children! As times are different, slavery also shows itself with other physiognomies, not always so clear and easily recognizable. If in the past, people were sold, bought or kidnapped, distributed as war booty, today they are enticed, all over the world, with promises of a better life, of earnings to feed and take care of themselves and their families. Today, most of the time, the "master" spends only on the worker's transportation to the workplace.
It is also a mistake to think that this practice is only present in underdeveloped or developing countries. It is all over the world. Studies by the International Labor Organization (ILO) indicate that there are more than 1.5 million people in slave-like working conditions in Europe, Japan, Australia and North America. According to the same institution, one in five people is a victim of sexual exploitation and most work in agriculture, fishing, construction, textile manufacturing and domestic work. The same ILO estimates that "modern slavery generates more than 150 billion [dollars] of profit every year", which is equivalent to "the sum of the four most profitable companies in the world".
Let us not think that we are not affected by this practice. This unfair competition ends up resulting in lower salaries or cuts in benefits, in addition to governments having to bear legal expenses that could be resources invested in improving the lives of the population.
The history of Brazil tells us of African peoples (from different nations) enslaved and embarked on ships in an inhumane and cruel way. Some ancient historians and today, foreign travelers who visited our country under the most different motivations, reported the customs of the country from the arrival of King Dom João VI to our lands. It was 1808. Many were and are those who before and today recorded their impressions that here, slavery was "soft". Yes! They compared the possession of someone in Brazil with other forms of domination in other times and places.
I dare to disagree with these thinkers, intellectuals, anthropologists, sociologists, economists, and politicians (to name just a few)! Studies on the practice of slavery in our country were and are carried out on records made by the "owners" of people. Very rarely has any annotation been found based on the experience of the enslaved. It is, therefore, a story told by one side only.
In 1888, finally, Princess Isabel Cristina Leopoldina Augusta Micaela Gabriela Rafaela Gonzaga decreed the abolition of slavery in Brazil. The country, now, and finally, entered the list of those who said they did not accept that someone's freedom could be defined by others. However, the books also tell us that there was no plan or project to include that labor, previously slave, in the "freed" life.
Time has passed – 135 years have passed – and what do we have today? People working in conditions analogous to slavery, mainly, according to official data, in rural areas, in sugarcane, tobacco and coffee plantations, among others; in civil construction; in soft drink companies; paper production; in the homes, as domestic workers, or even as sex slaves.
When fined, those responsible for the companies claim to be "unaware" of what was happening with their contractors, who, by the way, were hired by outsourced companies. Others claim that "welfare is to blame for the lack of labor." The most daring, from the tribunes of the city councils or the like, shamelessly state that one should not "hire these dirty and ungrateful people".
As seen before, abolition happened, but it was not accompanied by effective actions to confront and combat it. Many in our Brazil still believe that they can – and perhaps even should – hire workers without being guaranteed not only the labor rights mandated by the laws, but also that they are guaranteed dignified living conditions, those of the right of all living beings. Too many – too many! – they still lack access to education, health and decent jobs. Therefore Any similarity will not be coincidental .
All these stories of suffering reminded me, these days, of some literary pieces, among them, The Grapes of Wrath , by the American writer John Steinbeck. The work became a classic of world literature and was made into a film (1940) nominated for five Academy Awards, having won two (best supporting actress and best director). The unusual story and a harsh reality brings much of humanity that needs to be rescued. It's worth checking out!
