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Settlement for striking Brazilian maritime workers
12 April 2005
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| Opening session, seafarers' section meeting |
Brazilian maritime workers, who turned out in droves to participate in indefinite strike action over discriminatory practices, have agreed a settlement with their oil company employers.
A collective bargaining agreement signing ceremony took place at the opening of the ITF's Seafarers' Section Conference in Rio yesterday, 11 April. Action, involving 70 per cent of the 2,900 seafaring staff, began on 22 March after negotiations with the employer broke down.
The employees of state-owned Petrobras and its subsidiary Transpetro were calling for an end to discrimination against maritime workers. The company had attempted to quash industrial action by threatening striking employees and replacing them with strikebreakers.
However, a dramatic turnaround took place when negotiations between the companies and unions on 1 April led to a settlement; strike action was called off on 3 April. ITF affiliates Sindicato Nacional dos Oficiais da Marinha Mercante, Federação Nacional de Trabalhadores em Transportes Aquaviários e Afins, and Confederaçao Nacional dos Trabalhadores em Transportes Aquaviarios e Aereos na Pesca e nos Portos (CONTTMAF) won a number of concessions from both companies.
These include a salary review, an increase in holiday entitlement, equal promotion opportunities for seafarers compared with land-based personnel and the introduction of seminars on labour relations. CONTTMAF President, Severino Almeida, said: "We're aware that the proposals do not fulfil all the seafarers' requests, but we never expected to reach an ideal agreement through this action. Obtaining what is fair and necessary is a process and cannot be won overnight. But showing that we are strategic, that we are well-organised and ready to fight for better working conditions - all this we have already done."
More information in Spanish: Acuerdo marca la inauguración de reuniones de trabajadores marítimos y estibadores afiliados a la ITF
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