-- Clarification with regard to the issues on the
public-interest civil lawsuit filed by the Public Labour
Ministry
SAO PAULO, Aug. 30, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Eternit,
(BM&FBOVESPA: ETER3, OTC: ETNTY) founded 73 years ago, market
leader in the Brazilian roofing segment, with a significant
presence in the bathroom chinaware and metal bathroom fittings
segments and a manufacturer of components for construction systems,
hereby informs the market that it was served with a summons
yesterday afternoon, in a public-interest civil lawsuit filed by
the Public Labour Ministry under lawsuit No.
0002106-72-2013.5.02.0009, which is currently before the 9th
District Labour Court of Sao
Paulo.
In contrast to that reported by a number of articles that have
appeared in the press, in acquainting itself with the court
process, the Company is able to identify that the injunction
decision does not impose any cost burden on the health plan for all
its former employees, which had been estimated by some at between
8000 and 10,000 people. Notwithstanding that the Company
disagrees with its merits and that there is a need for a detailed
examination of this very complex and voluminous court case, the
decision is very clear in that it imposes a requirement for
providing health assistance for "all the former employees from the
Osasco industrial plant (...) referring to pages 76/83",
with respect to "damage to health associated with occupational
exposure to asbestos" provided, (i) that they are not already
included under a health plan, the cost of which is borne by the
Company; and (ii) that the potential beneficiaries confirm their
interest in receiving medical assistance.
Also, because it has been possible to carry out preliminary
verification of the case, the report covers 297 people, of which it
has been possible to verify that a significant percentage has,
over a period of time, already received medical assistance - the
cost of which has been borne by Eternit.
The Company believes that it is important to also make it
clear that five of the six requests for interlocutory relief
previously drawn up by the Public Labour Ministry have been
dismissed by Her Honour the Labour Judge and will be duly analysed
during the course of the court case.
With respect to the institutional role of the MPT and the
renewal of its commitment to continue to enforce compliance with
laws and legal rulings, the Company believes that there is no basis
for this court case, and hereby announces that it will be carrying
out a vigourous defence of its rights at the appropriate time and
in the appropriate manner.
The Company also emphasises that it strictly complies with the
safety standards and procedures established by Federal Law 9.055/95
and Decree 2.350/97 which regulates it, and which is recommended by
the International Labour Organisation (ILO), in its Convention No.
162. This reality is translated into a favourable environment for
the conducting of healthy work, exempt from risks, which preserves
the health of the Company's employees, this fact having also been
also recognised in a number of court decisions.
With respect to the Osasco manufacturing unit, which ceased
activities in 1993, the Company maintains an office which provide
social assistance and support for former employees, together with
medical monitoring.
The Company operates in total transparency and maintains its
"Open Doors Program", which has received more than 50,000 visitors
at its various units, allowing access to any of the population
wishing to learn about the safety procedures used in the Company's
mining and chrysotile asbestos-based product manufacturing
processes.
The Company wishes to emphasise its continued firm belief in
Brazilian justice, and hopes that the technical and scientific
evidence will be duly considered in the judgement of the case,
disregarding susceptibility to pressure groups in favour of banning
chrysotile asbestos, based purely on the unsuccessful European
experience.
Conference call with Webcast (in Portuguese-simultaneous
translation to English)
Presentation: Elio Martins - CEO
and IR Director
Date: August 30, 2013
Time: 09.00 a.m. Brazilian Local
Time – 08.00 a.m. New York – 01.00
p.m. London
Conference call can be followed on the website link
www.ccall.com.br/eternit/extra_august2013.htm or
www.eternit.com.br/ir
To follow the presentation by telephone, please dial the
following telephone numbers: (55-11) 4688-6361 for
Brazil and (1-786) 924-6977
for other countries -Password:ETERNIT
Contact: ri@eternit.com.br, +55-11-3194-3881
