ANASTACIO, Brazil – Cold-hardy Canadians could pick up premium pay by working at the Independencia slaughter plant in Brazil – and get free air conditioning as part of the deal.
But at only $300 a month, most Canadians probably wouldn’t want to work six days a week at the cattle slaughter facility.
Still, apart from the pay, working on the cutting floor and in the freezers would be one of the most comfortable work environments in Brazil for a Canadian.
Brazilians don’t see air conditioning as a perk.
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“It’s too cold, so we need a better attraction,” said plant production manager Julio Cezar. If the plant doesn’t offer bonus pay to work in the cooler rooms, which are normally about 1-3 C, people won’t take the jobs. They would rather work in 38 C heat for eight hours cutting hot carcasses.
“It is very cold here,” said Cezar, who shivered as he toured North Americans through the plant.
His visitors felt the opposite, momentarily enjoying the escape from the oppressive heat and humidity of a Brazilian summer.
Other than disliking the cutting rooms’ cool temperatures, the workers were a tough bunch. To get to work, the 800 workers either walk or bicycle down the same dirt roads that cattle trucks take when delivering to the plant.
Some have the comparatively easy jobs of sawing the carcasses or cutting sections, but others have more hazardous work. The men at the front of the kosher slaughter line have a job few Canadians would fight for.
As each animal comes out of the chute, it is pulled up by a chain around one leg. A number of workers then jump in to grab and hold the other flailing legs, another worker steps in to haul the animal’s head back, and then a man steps in to cut the animal’s throat.
These are tough and dangerous jobs, but not as hard to sell to a worker as working in the cooled rooms.
“Too cold,” Cezar said.
