Manifesto ‘#donotfire’ Joined by Over 1000 Companies in 24 Hours

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Over a thousand Brazilian companies of different sizes have adhered to the #nãodemita (#donotfire) manifesto in only 24 hours. In the public document, released on Friday, April 3rd, groups like Ânima Educação, WEG and Renner, among others, urged entrepreneurs not to reduce the number of employees until the end of May.

The aim is to wait for the end (or at least a reduction) of the social isolation (lockdown) for the country to have greater insight into the economic impacts of the novel coronavirus.

According to the manifesto, a company’s first social responsibility is to give back to society what it provides. “That’s why our greatest responsibility now is to keep our staff,” the document says.

According to Daniel Castanho, president of the Ânima education group, executives from various sectors were talking about the crisis and how companies could contribute to society at this sensitive time. He realized that timely actions could become an issue raised by civil society leaders and could inspire people around the country.

“Taking on a public commitment in this respect would allow everyone to feel more reassured and safe in order to get through this turbulence the best way possible,” the executive said.

In just 24 hours, the initiative attracted over 1,000 members, in addition to the first 40 large-scale companies that launched the manifesto: Accenture, BR Distribuidora, BTG Pactual, GPA, Suzano, and Unipar, among others.

In a note, Renner declared it had joined the manifesto because it is aligned with the company’s values. “We hope to get through all this as soon as possible. Until then, we will be committed to the collective welfare”.

The majority of enrolments come from São Paulo (more than 230 so far), but cities like Rio de Janeiro, Belo Horizonte, Brasília, Fortaleza, Recife, and Campinas are also joining the initiative.