After complaints of sexual harassment, which would have been committed by the president of Caixa Econômica Federal, Pedro Guimarães, three career servants said that the cases usually took place at the bank’s headquarters, in Brasília, but mainly during work trips, while the teams stayed at the same hotel.
In an interview with TV Globo, this Wednesday (29), one of the whistleblowers – who preferred not to be identified, for fear of reprisals – said that, between one hug and another, the executive and ally of President Jair Bolsonaro (PL) was touching on your breasts and other private parts.
It’s all very sensitive and generates a lot of fear in us. Employee, woman, we feel powerless. Stronger hugs, hug me right and in those hugs, the arm escaped and touched the breasts, the intimate parts behind… it was like that. Employee, who went into depression and asked for leave
Another employee recounted the day when Guimarães asked her to take a porter for him in the hotel room where they were staying, on a business trip. The executive opened the door only wearing boxer shorts and invited her in. According to the servant, Guimarães offered “protection” and “professional advancement” to women.
I felt very invaded, very disrespected as a woman and as someone who was there to do a job. I already thought it was inappropriate to call me to his room so late and still receive me like that. I felt humiliated. He said that whoever was with him was guaranteed protection, professional advancement and that whoever was loyal would be rewarded for that loyalty. Server, in an interview with TV Globo
Pedro Guimarães has been president of Caixa since the beginning of the current government. The head of the state-owned company is a frequent presence at events alongside Jair Bolsonaro, in addition to participating several times in the president’s weekly live.
Yesterday, politicians took to social media to ask for an investigation into Guimarães for the alleged harassment, initially reported by the news site “Metrópoles”. The women denounced Guimarães to the MP (Public Ministry).
Understand the complaints
The complaints, which include unauthorized intimate touches, inappropriate approaches and incompatible invitations to the work relationship, began to emerge at the end of last year. All the women who spoke to the site, without their names being made public, work or worked in teams that work directly with the Caixa presidency’s office.
The five interviewees said they felt abused on different occasions, and always on work commitments. The cases often happened on trips related to the Caixa Mais Brasil program.
According to a report, the president of the bank chooses, preferably, “beautiful women” for the entourage on the trips. According to Ana*, one of the employees who denounced the harassment, the statement of choice is like a prize.
Another common practice, according to the employees, is that women who attract Guimarães’ attention while traveling are called to work in Brasília, often promoted hierarchically without fulfilling the necessary requirements. The practice even gave rise to an expression used to refer to them: “flying saucer”.
in contact with the UOLthe Ministry of Economy said it will not comment on the case.
In a statement, Caixa states that “it is not aware of the complaints presented by the vehicle and that it adopts measures to eliminate conduct related to any type of harassment.”. In the text sent to the UOLthe institution says that “the bank has a solid system of integrity, anchored in compliance with the various prevention protocols, the Code of Ethics and the Code of Conduct, which prohibit the practice of ‘any type of harassment, through verbal or physical conduct of humiliation, coercion or threat'”.
O UOL also contacted Pedro Guimarães by e-mail and by phone to comment on the allegations. The text will be updated in case of manifestation.
“Abominable Conduct”
In a note sent to UOLthe São Paulo Bank Employees Union asked for an investigation into allegations of sexual harassment involving the president of Caixa and bank employees.
“It is essential that an investigation be initiated and, if the complaints are confirmed, that abominable conducts such as these do not go unpunished. The fight against sexual and moral harassment is part of a permanent policy of the union, with claims that intensify the fight, within the banks, against machismo and institutional racism and sexual and moral harassment, with strict rules and conduct”, says the statement.
