Vale railway dispute reaches Brazil's Supreme Federal Court

Industry entities have petitioned Brazil’s Supreme Federal Court (STF) to challenge labor rulings that restrict the use of 'monocondução'—a railway operating model where a single engineer is responsible for a locomotive.

The legal challenge, filed via Arguição de Descumprimento de Preceito Fundamental (ADPF) 1349 by the Brazilian Mining Institute (Ibram) and the National Association of Railway Transporters (ANTF), seeks to overturn decisions by the Labor Court in Maranhão. Those rulings previously ordered Vale to abandon the single-engineer model and pay damages to workers.

The dispute centers on the Carajás Railway, where engineers reportedly operate for up to six hours without breaks for food or bathroom use because the single-operator requirement prevents them from leaving the controls. While locomotives are equipped with toilets, the safety protocols and operational demands of monocondução make it difficult for workers to step away.

The case is currently under the rapporteurship of Minister Gilmar Mendes. Previously, the Regional Labor Court of the 16th Region upheld a sentence requiring Vale to compensate workers and cease the practice, citing impacts on worker dignity and health.