Rio de Janeiro Firemen Continue Their Fight

I had an amazing moment this evening. I took advantage of Jim's visit and Mr. Rant's Botafogo game at 730pm and asked if Mr. Rant could pick the kids of at school.

As luck would have it, Jim left before school pick up and as I was preparing to meet with Mr. Rant at the school a commotion started on the street. It was a protest, and a big one at that.

Going with the luck that I had actually gotten Mr. Rant to leave work early and pick up the kids, I decided to grab my camera and go with the commotion.

The protest was by the firefighters. I had the opportunity to talk with one of the organizers, a young man under 30 years old. He has 3 children, commutes 3 hours into work in Zona Sul, and was supposed to be pleased to receive the "raise" the government gave them. It was a cost of living raise, one they should be getting regardless. The crew, much larger than I have seen thus far, had congregated to ask for just money.

I followed as the obnoxious American. Greatly, that was openly accepted in a moment like this. I asked all of them what they striving for. Shockingly, the vast majority didn't talk about salary. They want better work conditions. They want enough people so that they can respond to traumas in a timely manner. They do not want their work questioned, as if they are lazy, because they don't have the man power nor the equipment to do their job correctly.

The whole of them want to be respected as the heroes they are. They want Brazilians to be able to call their version of 911 and know that one of these men will be able to be there when they are needed. They want work conditions that do not make them so exhausted that their job is about that, work, and not saving the people.

A large part of having the energy to do this kind of job is being able to support one's family. These men are spending their days taking care of our neighborhood while worrying about what is happening in the one they live in. They struggle to make it into work and have worry if they will have the money to put decent food on the table.

And here you have a group of noble people asking for conditions that allow them to do their job better. What people forget is that their job is protecting and saving our lives. Surprisingly they continue to go unnoticed to most. I will say that they have been noticed by me and I will never forget the faces of that group!

Governor of Rio Drinks Champagne and Firefighters sit in Jail

You've got to love some of America's news coverage of happenings in Brazil. I think they google translate some articles, get a couple of names, and write a simple blurb.

People, the news is not straight forward in this country! Hell, going to the supermarket is not straight forward here.

So when I read about how the firefighters are guilty of breaking an entering and creating a dangerous situation by bringing in children, I get annoyed. That Sérgio Cabral deemed them irresponsible vandals makes me pissed. I get even more pissed when I read about him saying that he does not negotiate with vandals.

Nope, to negotiate with Mr. Cabral you have to be a rich criminal. Hard workers need not apply. Ok, maybe I can't call all the firemen hard workers but would you be with their salary!

The thing is, they had an old fashion sit-in, but knowing they are in Rio de Janeiro, they brought the women and children for safety. Smartest move? Maybe not, but what options did they have left? I ran into a peaceful protest weeks ago. Their pleads for a decent salary is nothing new.

But to have them referred to and treated like criminals boils my blood. Of course, obviously, it's the underpaid workers that are criminals who are guilty of insubordination because they challenged unfair work conditions. Yeah, that makes sense.

So Mr. Governor, when you say that what they did was a crime, let me point something out to you. I think that you having posh birthday parties for your nephew in your "palace" with a full Bob's (Brazilian McDonalds) built on your property for the occasion is a crime. The fact that you served, for example, imported caviar and champagne and yet you couldn't give a rats ass that these guys have to find money in a R$950 a month salary for transportation is a crime.

With all due respect, your lavish lifestyle is insubordination. Do you really need people flying into your place on helicopters a couple of times a week? And the rounds of motorcycles that leave your property to escort 1 car burns plenty of money that could be given to this cause.

But now, in true 60s American hippie style, these firemen are facing a possible 10 years in jail. I'm sure you'll lose sleep over it. Oh wait, maybe not.

Governor Cabral, please just cut your losses. Come out and say that you will be the bigger man. You could even do a lame speech saying that while the firefighters actions were wrong, you understand their plight. It is important to take care of your people and you are going to take care of them. Blah blah blah. The international presses would eat that stuff up like, well, imported caviar and champagne.

I think I should be a speech writer...

So what do you guys think of this situation? Who's handling what well? What should the government do?
___________________________________________
Please take a second to vote for me as Top 25 Expat Mom blogger! It's one click and no registration! Click HERE

Rio de Janeiro Firemen and Families Attacked During Protest

Yesterday, the firemen of Rio de Janeiro took over the Quartel Central do Corpo de Bombeiros (Basically the home base for all Rio Firemen) in an attempt to get the government to pay attention to their demands for a better salary.

Rio de Janeiro firemen are paid horribly for their services, a mere R$950 monthly. And people wonder why there is a lack of motivation and a delayed response time.

They have been protesting for 2 months now and it has been falling onto deaf ears. They decided to take over the central station, in an attempt to be heard, and brought along women and children as a guarantee that everything would stay peaceful. Sadly, that isn't how it worked out.

The Bope and Military Police entered the compound at 6am, clearing their way with tear gas and bombs. Total madness ensued. At least 5 children suffered intoxication from the gas and 2 adults suffered head injuries. While not mentioned in the news article, the tv news reported that a pregnant woman miscarried in the middle of all the chaos.

Heaven forbid the city firefighters ask for a bit more money! They aren't going insane with their demands or anything. They want to be paid R$2,000 liquid a month and have paid transportation (it's quite common for jobs in Brazil to pay for transportation and lunch).

I really don't get it. You don't underpay your firemen and emergency crews! Did they miss 9/11? These are your go-to guys! They are the people who are supposed to be taking a BIG one for the team and working for our safety! But hell, drivers here don't even respect an ambulance trying to get to a hospital, why in the hell are they going to care about these people's salary.

The thing is, one day you will need them. At least one time. And at that moment you're going to have wished that they were well treated and thus motivated professionals. You'll have your 10 to 30 minutes of waiting for the ambulance to think that one over.

Here's a video of the firefighters mid-protest