The company has been undergoing a restructuring process that has had strong impacts on employment, through outsourcing. The differences in pay and benefits between staff employees at Philips and those at the outsourced companies is very large, despite the fact that the relationships are completely legalized, within the norms that guide labour relations in the country. In recent years advances have occurred in the relationship between Philips da Amazônia and the Metalworkers Union. The union has open access to the workplace; the company collects and passes along the union dues; it maintains an agreement to release union directors for union activities and negotiates with the union. Bulletin boards are used by the union, after notices are approved by the Human Resources department. Philips negotiates with the Union, but there are problems in the distribution of information. The company complies with the Collective Convention, with the exception of vacancies at nurseries for children. Some supervisors interfere with workers’ decisions to participate in the union, through various forms of pressure. There is no Factory Commission, although the company has formed an Internal Personnel Commission, creating a form of parallel representation to the Union. The workers say they are well informed by the Union. There is no child labour or forced labour at Philips da Amazônia, but the company does not explicitly demand that its suppliers do not employ or eradicate child or forced labour. Workers do not “perceive” any discrimination by gender or race. Nevertheless, there is a concentration of women in positions of lower pay and a large difference in the average salary of men and women. Women have a much lower rate of participation in supervisory positions.
Despite company work in the field of health and safety, there are problems related to RSI among the staff and ailments related to physical effort and the intense work pace among outsourced workers, as well as other health and safety problems. Many staff employees and outsourced workers say working conditions are barely suitable or inadequate. Noise at the plant is a big problem. It was given a negative evaluation by about 70% of those questioned. Ventilation and order and organization are also problems mentioned by workers. Workers questioned the operation of the Internal Accident Prevention Commission. Medical exams are conducted regularly and their results are known by the staff workers. This is not true of outsourced workers, who do not conduct regular exams and when they do, do not have access to the results. Philips offers a broad benefit plan to its staff, including professional training. Outsourced workers are excluded from these benefits. Philips da Amazônia undertakes activities that demonstrate its commitment to the environment, through environmental management programs. The company seeks to involve staff, but there is no participation by the Metalworkers Union nor by outsourced workers.