Condition analogous to slavery for 20 years: elderly couple had to live in a shed The compensation that farmer Elton Lange will have to pay to the elderly couple he kept in a condition analogous to slavery for 20 years in Guarapuava, in the central region of Paraná, was set at R$ 70,000 — R$ 50,000 in severance pay and retroactive labor rights plus R$ 20,000 for moral damages. The information comes from the Labor Inspection Secretariat (SIT), linked to the Ministry of Labor and Employment (MTE), responsible for uncovering the situation after receiving a tip and inspecting the place where the couple lived, inside Elton's property. Read more details below. RPC, TV Globo's affiliate in Paraná, tried to interview Elton in person on the day he signed the payment agreement, but he refused and did not comment on the situation.
On Tuesday (16) and this Wednesday (17), g1 contacted him again about the case, but received no response until this publication went live. ✅Follow the g1 PR channel on WhatsApp When disclosing the settlement amount, the MPT confirmed that the employer asked to make the payment with a down payment and the remaining amount in installments. The prosecutor's office, however, did not disclose how much, specifically, Elton paid as a down payment and will have to pay in installments. Considering the 20 years that the elderly couple lived on the rural property, the total compensation represents a payment of just over R$ 290 per month of work.
g1 questioned the SIT labor auditing and the MPT about the amount, and both explained that it is due to two main issues: the calculation did not consider the worker's wife, under the understanding that only the man worked on the farm and she "just took care of her own home". The other reason is that the compensation only took into account the man's last five years of work, due to the statute of limitations. Labor fiscal auditor José Luiz Zacharias de Queiroz recalls that the Federal Constitution defines a five-year statute of limitations for urban and rural workers to sue for labor credits, up to a limit of two years after the termination of the employment contract to file a lawsuit.
"Regarding the possibility of waiving the five-year statute of limitations in the event of judicial recognition of work analogous to slavery, there are precedents in this sense in recent rulings issued by the Superior Labor Court, but it is not a settled or even majority understanding in that court, with no binding precedent on the subject," he explains. Labor prosecutor André Melatti reinforces that, in any case, the amounts agreed upon in the settlement do not grant any full discharge, serving only as a guarantee of minimum payment. Therefore, the couple can still file an individual lawsuit in the Labor Court requesting higher amounts and referring to the other 15 years of work that were not considered in the settlement. Elton Lange is accused of having kept an elderly couple in a condition analogous to slavery for 20 years Disclosure and Labor Inspection Secretariat (SIT) Read also: See images: Paraná dawns with frost and negative temperatures 'Perpetual adoration': Nuns living behind bars take turns praying 24 hours a day Paraná and two other states: Hunters are targets of mega police operation Modern slavery in Paraná House and bathroom were in separate structures Labor Inspection Secretariat (SIT) The case came to light after the elderly couple was rescued on Wednesday (10).
The rescue was carried out by the SIT and MTE in the locality of Combrão, near PR-170. The agency states that the 84-year-old man worked as a farmhand on the property and was placed to live, along with his 66-year-old wife, in a shed with a rotted structure that was improvised as a house, with an external bathroom and shower.
According to the labor fiscal auditors, the victims did not have running water and depended on third parties to get food, as they faced difficulties traveling to urban centers. "In addition to the degrading conditions, the suppression of other labor rights was found, such as the lack of formal registration, failure to grant paid annual leave, non-payment of the thirteenth salary, and remuneration below the regional floor," they state. Also according to MPT representatives, at the administrative level, 14 irregularities were identified. Criminally, the farmer may be investigated by the Federal Police.
However, this Wednesday (17) the corporation stated that it had not yet been notified about the situation. According to José Luiz Queiroz, labor fiscal auditor, the couple was assisted by the municipality's social assistance team and taken to the home of a son, who grew up in the same place with his parents and later went to live in the city. Work analogous to slavery: understand what it is, how to recognize it, and how to report it Accommodation at risk of collapse, fire, asphyxiation, and poisoning Accommodation had damaged structure, according to inspectors Labor Inspection Secretariat (SIT) According to the auditors, the improvised accommodation used by the couple was at risk of collapse and fire, with consequent asphyxiation and poisoning due to the structure provided by the employer. The place was completely cordoned off.
"The residence showed advanced signs of deterioration, with rotted parts of the structure, cracks in the walls, and a risk to the stability of the building. [...] Firewood and combustible materials were stored next to the wood stove, and there was an improper installation of a gas cylinder inside the residence." The team also verified that the elderly couple improvised three different structures to live in, all built of wood: an old shed was adapted as a house, and 20 meters away, the worker built a bathroom. In a separate structure, a shower was improvised. Accommodation had damaged structure, according to inspectors Labor Inspection Secretariat (SIT) "The bathroom used was located outside the residence, about 20 meters away.
The sanitary structure had been built by the worker himself, without the provision of adequate facilities by the employer. [...] The place designated for bathing also presented precarious conditions, with open walls, cracks, improvised electrical installations, and irregular water supply." Still according to the auditors, the water used for consumption and domestic activities was captured directly from springs and water streams on the property through installations improvised by the worker himself.
The couple reported that they boiled the water before consumption whenever possible. During the inspection, it was also found that the employer did not provide protective equipment or other supplies necessary for the execution of the activities carried out on the property, and that the couple was at risk of venomous animal bites and respiratory system diseases, "due to the lack of sealing and closing conditions of the walls of the buildings, with gaps that did not offer protection against atmospheric conditions of cold and wind or access by venomous animals". Reports Cases of work analogous to slavery can be reported anonymously and securely through the Ipê System, available online. Access via this link The platform was launched by the Labor Inspection Secretariat (SIT), in partnership with the International Labour Organization (ILO), and integrates the permanent actions of Labor Fiscal Auditing in combating contemporary slave labor. Most watched videos of g1 Paraná Read more news on g1 Campos Gerais and South.
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