A major crisis has arisen at the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE), including requests for his dismissal.
Last Friday (20), the National Union of Workers at Federal Public Foundations of Geography and Statistics (Assibge) announced a call for action next week in front of the IBGE headquarters, in Rio de Janeiro.
According to the body, the act will be to demand that Pochmann change his “authoritarian behavior” that has marked his recent actions and for him to establish a real process of dialogue with employees in relation to the various changes underway at the Institute.
Criticisms are also cited in other aspects, such as:
- changes in the work regime;
- transfer to the Federal Data Processing Service (Serpro) building, in Horto, in the south zone;
- creation of a private law foundation;
- change in statute, etc.
Letter criticizing management
An apocryphal letter began to circulate among IBGE employees, at the same time as the event was called, detailing the criticisms of Pochmann’s management and asking for his dismissal.
Entitled “Public Declaration of IBGE Employees”, the document details the dissatisfactions.
One of them is with IBGE+. According to the letter, it is “a support entity governed by private law, implemented without any dialogue with workers”.
“Formalized in secrecy for 11 months and announced two months after its official registration, this foundation raises doubts as to its real purpose and the impact it will have on the technical and administrative independence of the Institute”, says the text.
Reformulation of the statute
Also according to the letter, the lack of clarity and participation in a critical topic raises serious questions about the criteria that guided the creation of IBGE+ and the risks of distorting the body’s public mission for the benefit of private interests.
Another point raised in the letter is the reformulation of the body’s statute, “which is being conducted in a non-transparent manner and without the necessary debate with employees and society”.
The union has been demanding more transparency and participation in the reformulation process, “as any change in the statute could seriously compromise the governance of the institution and the quality of the data produced”, continues the letter.
However, the presidency has remained inflexible and refuses to provide information or promote open discussions with workers, the document reveals.
“This stance puts IBGE’s autonomy and credibility as a reliable source of statistical data at risk”, he criticizes.
Pochmann’s excessive trips
Faced with a “scenario of financial scarcity” at IBGE, Pochmann’s “frequent and excessive” trips became the target of criticism, as stated in the letter circulating among the agency’s workers.
“IBGE does not have credit for some expenses such as rent payments, is in debt to several suppliers and restricts technical trips essential for conducting research”, he explains
According to the text, the priority given to these trips, instead of maintaining the institute’s basic activities, “reinforces the disconnect between management and the real needs of IBGE and the country”.
Change of address
The possibility of suddenly transferring servers from the center of Rio de Janeiro to the Horto neighborhood was criticized.
This happens due to “the unavailability of bus and subway lines and because there are no restaurants in the surrounding area.
“These attitudes highlight the lack of planning and respect for workers. Such unnecessary measures, if implemented, tend to increase funding expenses, while disregarding the real needs of the Institute”, he adds.
Exoneration
Based on the facts presented, Pochmann’s dismissal is requested.
“In the face of this centralizing and authoritarian management, which has taken decisions without dialogue, ignoring the demands of civil servants and compromising the autonomy and mission of IBGE, we declare that we can no longer tolerate this situation”, he mentions.
The continuity of the mandate is compromising the functioning of the institution and the negative impact of the decisions is felt daily by workers due to the amount of work carried out, continues the document circulating internally.
“Thus, IBGE employees publicly express their desire for the end of the mandate of the current president, Márcio Pochmann, and inform that they no longer consider him as President of this renowned institution.”
Directors also criticize
Another letter was signed against the management, this time by a group of coordinators and managers from the Geosciences Directorate.
The document criticizes the “absence of an institutionalized decision-making process” which “compromises the effectiveness of actions and, above all, the harmony of the work environment and the engagement of teams with the institutional mission of IBGE”.
They express disagreement regarding the mandatory hybrid work regime, the possible move to Horto by the end of 2024, the change in the IBGE Statute and the creation of the IBGE+ Foundation.
“We ask that Senior Management consider implementing a broader and more participatory consultation process for decisions, especially those of great impact on the operation and functioning of the Institute, where our experience is truly taken into account in decision-making, never losing in view of the institutional values of quality, impartiality and independence”, says the document.
