Oil workers approve nationwide strike starting Monday

After weeks of meetings across the country, Petrobras System workers approved the launch of a national strike starting at midnight on Monday (15). The decision was made after the rejection of the second counterproposal presented by the state-owned company for the Collective Bargaining Agreement (ACT), considered insufficient by the entities representing the category. The new proposal was delivered by Petrobras on Tuesday (9), but, according to the unions, it does not advance on the three central points of the negotiations: the search for a definitive solution for Petros' Deficit Equalization Plans (PEDs), which directly impact the income of retirees and pensioners; improvements in the job and salary plan, with guarantees of recomposition without the application of fiscal adjustment mechanisms; and the so-called agenda for a Sovereign Brazil, which advocates maintaining Petrobras as a public company and a business model aimed at strengthening the state-owned company. The Single Federation of Oil Workers (FUP) states that, in addition to not presenting conclusive answers on the PEDs — an issue that has been discussed for almost three years with the government and participating entities — the company also failed to offer consistent solutions to other pending issues that have accumulated throughout the negotiation process. With the rejection of the counterproposal, the unions say they will officially notify Petrobras of the strike on Friday (12), in compliance with legal deadlines. Before the strike begins, retirees and pensioners from different regions of the country will resume a vigil on Thursday (11) in front of the Senate Building (Edisen), Petrobras' headquarters in Rio de Janeiro. The mobilization demands a solution to Petros' calculations and should continue during the negotiation period. The actions also take place in parallel with agendas in Brasilia, where representatives of the category participate in meetings with members of the government and the Quadripartite Commission, formed by Petrobras, the Secretariat for Coordination and Governance of State-Owned Companies (Sest), the National Superintendence of Complementary Pensions (Previc), and entities that are part of the Forum in Defense of Petros Participants and Beneficiaries. The FUP and the unions say they remain open to dialogue, but point out that the outcome of the assemblies and the mobilization calendar indicate a strong willingness on the part of the category to press for progress in the ACT negotiations. Petrobras sent an official statement to the press. The text reads: "Petrobras maintains a permanent channel of dialogue with the unions, regardless of external agendas or public demonstrations. The company is currently negotiating its Collective Bargaining Agreement and has been holding regular meetings with union federations to discuss its proposal and the list of demands. On Tuesday (December 9), the company presented a new proposal that includes advances for the category and hopes to conclude the new agreement at the negotiating table with the union entities. Petrobras respects the right of employees to protest and, if necessary, will adopt contingency measures to ensure the continuity of its activities.