The Labor Court of Mato Grosso has ordered the Brazilian multinational food company BRF to pay compensation to an employee who lost her twin daughters after being prevented from leaving work while she was in labor. The shocking case, which occurred in April 2024, was sentenced this week and caused national commotion.
The Labor Court of Mato Grosso has ordered the Brazilian multinational food company BRF to pay compensation to an employee who lost her twin daughters after being prevented from leaving work while she was in labor. The shocking case, which occurred in April 2024, was sentenced this week and caused national commotion.
The woman, a 32-year-old Venezuelan immigrant, was eight months pregnant and worked at the company's meatpacking plant in Lucas do Rio Verde (MT). At around 3:40 a.m., during her shift, she began to feel severe pain and showed clear signs of imminent labor — such as dizziness, vomiting, shortness of breath, and intense pain. Even so, according to the court ruling, her request to leave the area to seek medical care was denied.
Daughters were born at the company and died shortly after birth
Frigorífica-pregnant
Unable to obtain authorization to leave her job, the employee was waiting for a bus outside the company when her water broke and ended up giving birth at BRF headquarters. The first baby died minutes after birth, at 6:30 am, and the second, who was born shortly after, also did not survive.
The case gained repercussion after being revealed by g1 and confirmed by UOL, and now has even more repercussions after the court ruling.
Court recognizes serious omission and orders indirect termination
Judge Fernando Galisteu, of the 2nd Labor Court of Lucas do Rio Verde, classified the company's conduct as "negligent and negligent", pointing out that the worker did not receive medical care or access to the company's own health sector, even after numerous appeals. "Even after insistent requests, she was prevented from leaving the sector due to the operation of the production line", the judge wrote in the sentence.
The court ordered the payment of R$150,000 for moral damages, in addition to severance pay, such as the 13th salary, advance notice, vacation, FGTS with a 40% fine, and access to unemployment insurance. The indirect termination of the employment contract was also recognized, that is, for just cause by the employer.
The judge also stated that “the serious and unjustifiable omission of the defendant is sufficient to make the maintenance of the employment relationship unbearable”.
BRF contests the decision and says it will appeal
In its defense, BRF claimed that the worker did not have a high-risk pregnancy and that she had refused to seek care at the company's internal outpatient clinic. However, this version was rejected by the court, which considered the argument “not credible”, especially given the pregnant woman's weakened state and the urgency of the situation.
The company also stated that the birth had occurred outside the unit, which was refuted by security camera footage and testimonies collected during the trial, which confirmed that the babies were born within the company's perimeter.
A nursing technician who works at BRF reported to the court that she was not called to assist the employee, and the nurse responsible for the health sector confirmed that protocol was not followed.
The company stated in a statement that it had set up a multidisciplinary committee to investigate the case internally, but did not comment directly on the lawsuit, which is still in the appeal phase.
“BRF has a policy of supporting pregnant women with a dedicated technical team. Last year, we supported more than 2,200 employees,” the company stated in an official statement.
Case exposes vulnerability of immigrant workers and corporate negligence
In addition to the tragedy itself, the case reveals a worrying reality: the vulnerability of immigrant women in the Brazilian job market, especially in industrial environments. The worker, who is black, foreign and pregnant, was subjected to a situation of inhumanity and violation of basic rights, which ended in the worst possible way.
The conviction of BRF may set a precedent to reinforce the responsibility of companies to ensure adequate health and dignity conditions in the workplace, especially in cases involving pregnant women and workers in situations of greater social vulnerability.
DFATOS • Justice and Human Rights | June 2025
🔗 Follow more news about labor rights, occupational health and corporate responsibility on our portal.
As the clashes between Israel and Iran escalate — with missile exchanges since June 13 — fears of a global conflict are also growing. However, instead of outright panic, many Gen Zers are turning to dark humor to cope with the tension, creating memes that are going viral on TikTok, Instagram and X (formerly Twitter).
Português
