Brazil’s postal workers go on strike in 23 regions

[TrueBlueTerrier]

http://postandparcel.info/50647/news/co ... 3-regions/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Postal workers in 23 regions of Brazil went on strike last night (18 September), according to union umbrella group Fentect.

The strike action over demands for more pay began as Brazil Post was due to meet with Fentect today, at a conciliation meeting at the country’s Superior Labour Court (TST).

Postal workers in two regions – Minas Gerais and Pará – have been on strike for a week, but 35 union groups voted yesterday to join them, threatening services in 18 states and the Federal District. More regional unions are set to vote on possible strike action later this week, Fentect said.

Fentect claimed more than 84% of postal workers are backing a nationwide strike. The unions are demanding a 10% real-terms wage increase and immediate hiring of 30,000 workers to relieve the strain on the work force.

Contingency plan

Brazil Post, which was due to start the conciliation meeting this morning at 10.30 local time, repeated past promises yesterday that in the case of a work stoppage, it had contingency plans in place to ensure postal services can continue.

This includes moving administrative staff to cover where necessary, the hiring of temporary workers, extension of overtime and the planned sorting and delivery of letters and parcels at the weekend.

The company stated again that it was offering a 5.2% increase in pay for its 120,000 employees along with various benefits, and that in the last nine years postal salaries have increased 35% in real terms.

In a statement to the media, Brazil Post said if it met the demands of the unions, its annual labour costs would be BRL 25bn ($12.4bn USD) compared to the BRL 15bn ($7.41bn USD) forecast for the company’s 2012 revenue total.

It said the company was currently working to improve healthcare arrangements for employees to reduce red tape without affecting the quality of services, and that after hiring 10,000 more workers in the last 21 months, it is also recruiting 9,904 more staff by April 2013.

Brazil Post and Fentect had been negotiating a labour deal since July.

The Post failed last week to obtain a court injunction to prevent strike action before conciliation could be completed at the TST. Today the TST confirmed that the conciliation meeting has been taking place, but was suspended while both sides examined the proposal from TST judge Cristina Peduzzi based on a 5.2% wage increase similar to Brazil Post’s proposal.

Brazil is also suffering a nationwide strike by bank staff at the moment, action that also began yesterday.

[TrueBlueTerrier]

Brazil’s postal labour dispute set to go to trial

http://postandparcel.info/50670/news/hu ... -to-trial/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The labour dispute between Brazil Post and the country’s regional postal unions will go to trial, after conciliation talks yesterday failed to reach agreement.

But, the Post has been granted an injunction that requires unions to ensure at least 40% of workers in each department report to work during strike action.

Brazil Post met with Fentect, the national umbrella group for Brazil’s regional postal unions, yesterday morning at the Superior Labour Court (TST).

The TST said that since no agreement was reached, the matter will go to trial for decision by the labour judge Katya Arruda.

Following yesterday’s meeting, the TST conciliator Cristina Peduzzi aid there was a “chasm” between the demands of the unions for a 43.7% wage increase and the 5.2% offer from Brazil Post.

Peduzzi had recommended a deal based on a 5.2% wage increase and higher benefits like food coupons than Brazil Post had been offering, and wanted to set up panels to discuss issues including working conditions, healthcare, diversity and an amnesty on workers that have already gone on strike, from whom Brazil Post wants to dock vacation time.

The TST said Brazil Post rejected the proposal, unhappy about its economic impact on the company, preferring the matter to go to trial. The union representatives were concerned about healthcare arrangements, but said they wanted to keep negotiating.

The Court said given the rejection by the Post, Peduzzi decided to abandon conciliation proceedings and move the case to trial.

Injunction

At the end of yesterday’s meeting, the TST conciliator did partially grant an injunction requested by Brazil Post to prevent workers striking before a legal decision is made on a new collective bargaining agreement. The unions are now required to ensure at least 40% of workers in each sector or unit of the postal service reports to work prior to the trial.

Failure to ensure the 40% quota will mean Fentect facing fines of BRL $50,000 a day.

Around 23 of the country’s 35 postal unions were on strike as of Tuesday night, with more of the regional unions set to vote on joining the action later this week.

Peduzzi said that while strike action is a legitimate way for workers to put pressure on management, Brazil’s government had an obligation to provide essential services, and the country’s postal service was of “noted social importance, especially for those most vulnerable and residing in remote regions of the country”.

Brazil Post said yesterday that it believed on average 91% of its postal workers were still working, estimating that 10,737 staff out of 120,000 have joined the industrial action in 19 states and the Federal District – suggesting that most of those on strike are mail delivery staff.

“To ensure delivery of letters and parcels to the population, the company is adopting measures such as relocation of employees from administrative areas, hiring temporary workers, overtime and implementation of joint efforts on weekends,” the company said in a statement.

However, Brazil Post did confirm that it has suspended express and guaranteed delivery services including SEDEX 10, SEDEX 12 and SEDEX Hoje in the Sao Paulo metropolitan area, Tocantins, Parana and the Federal District because of the partial shutdown.