No go: Brazil oil workers nix strike plans at Petrobras
Brazil oil workers nix strike plans
Oil workers in Brazil's Campos basin have called off plans to strike at Petrobras facilities after the state-run energy company agreed to renegotiate contracts for its staff at offshore platforms, a union official said.
The so-called Norte Fluminense union was threatening to strike for five days as of tomorrow in the Campos basin to demand that the time it takes to travel from the platforms to shore be counted as paid work days.
The workers already went on strike a few weeks ago to push its demands. But production was only affected briefly because Petrobras implemented a contingency plan that kept oil flowing during the walkout.
The union voted to drop plans for another strike after Petrobras agreed to count the so-called departure days from platforms as a paid half day, said Reuters.
In addition, the company said the changes will be retroactive as far back as January 2005.
"As of now, we'll be paid for a half day, and the big advance is that Petrobras agreed to make it retroactive," said Marcos Breda, a coordinator at the Norte Fluminense union.
Last week, Petrobras averted another strike with a broader oil workers' union known as FUP by agreeing to increase profit sharing terms for workers to 15.2% from 12.9%.