Postal workers have stopped work in parts of Brazil over a pay dispute but the country’s postalservice claims mail, parcel and express deliveries are operating normally nationwide.
Unions have rejected the postal operator’s offer of a 5.27% pay rise for the 120,000 staff. TheFentect federation of postal workers is demanding a dramatic 47.8% increase in wages, comprising7.13% to cover inflation, a real increase of 15% and a further 20% to cover losses from pastperiods of wage restraint.
Six of the 35 regional unions representing Correios (ECT) staff launched “indefinite” strikeaction yesterday (September 12) in six states, including in the key states of Rio de Janeiro, RioGrande do Sul and São Paulo. Unions claimed strong support for the strikes but Correios said that93.3% of its employees, or 116,165 persons, were normally working yesterday.
“The entire Correios postal network is open and all services, including SEDEX (the expressdelivery service) and Banco Postal, are available, apart from the services for time-definitedelivery of goods and Disque Coleta,” it stated.
Correios said it had put a contingency plan into action to maintain services, includingrelocating staff to different units, extending working hours and adding weekend shifts.
The Brazilian postal operator said that employees had received an overall 36.9% pay rise between2003 and 2012, which was more than inflation. It warned that the union’s demands were “impractical”and would push up its operating costs heavily. About 65% of ECT’s revenues are spent on staffsalaries and related costs.
Correios already suffered a drawn-out pay dispute last summer when workers went on strike for 28days. The strike had to be resolved by Brazil’s top labour court which imposed a 6.5% pay rise.Last year Correios originally offered a 5.2% rise while Fentect demanded a 43.7% increase, onsimilar grounds as this year’s pay claim.
