Some 90% of employees at Brazil Post walked out yesterday on an indefinite strike over pay,according to trade union officials.
At least 97,000 workers obeyed the call to strike in Correios branches and sorting centres,said the union Fentect (Federación Nacional de los Trabajadores de la Empresas de Correos yTelégrafos), although spokesmen from the company said that its 12,300 post offices nationwideremained open and were receiving mail.
Correios (ECT, Empresa de Correios e Telégrafos) said, however, that it had suspended allpostal deliveries with immediate effect, since the strike had paralysed the transport anddistribution of both mail and parcels.
Fentect is demanding a rise in pay of 47.7% to compensate for losses due to inflation since1994. The parties are far apart though, since Correios has only offered 3.74% and a one-off paymentof BRL 400 (EUR 151).
Negotiations collapsed on Wednesday and Correios said it would be deducting pay fromstrikers’ salaries for the days they are absent.
The Brazilian government is currently considering a restructuring plan for Correios whichwill see it axe over 500 management posts. It is also considering whether to allow ECT to launchits own cargo airline following the blocking by a court of its latest air mail sub-contractingtender process in the midst of corruption allegations.
Correios is on target for further “positive results” this year, says its president CarlosCustodio. Last year the group made a profit of BRL 396 million (EUR 147.6 million) on revenues ofBRL 8.5 billion (EUR 3.17 billion).
Custodio said the restructuring would save wages and speed up the decision-making process.
