31 Mar 2005
Dispute between CONTTMAF, Brazil and Petrobras SA

Send letter of protest to the Brazilian Presidency and the state-owned enterprise Petrobras, in support of striking seafarers members of the ITF affiliate the Confederaçao Nacional dos Trabalhadores em Transportes Aquaviarios e Aereos, na Pesca e nos Portos (CONTTMAF).

31 March 2005

To all seafarers’ affiliates

Dear Friends

Our Brazilian affiliate the Confederaçao Nacional dos Trabalhadores em Transportes Aquaviarios e Aereos, na Pesca e nos Portos (CONTTMAF) has informed of the serious difficulties it has encountered in concluding collective agreement negotiations with the company Petrobras and its subsidiary company, Transpetro. According to the information the ITF has received from CONTTMAF, Petrobras and Transpetro have been discriminating for a number of years against their seafarer employees by giving better pay and social conditions to similar shore-based employees. An example of this is the profit sharing payment. This has led to CONTTMAF taking strike action against the companies and 24 of the 50 tanker fleet are currently on strike.

CONTTMAF is requesting international support from all ITF seafarer affiliates in the form of letters protesting about the actions of Petrobras SA and Transpetro. Please find attached two model letters of protest concerning the strike in Brazil of seafarers employed by Petrobras and its subsidiary company Transpetro -one addressed to the Presidency of the Republic of Brazil and the other to the President of Petrobras. As the matter is decreed under Brazilian law and Petrobras is a state-owned enterprise, protest letters must be addressed not only to Petrobras but also to the Presidency of the Republic of Brazil.

Please draft letters of protest in line with the attached model letters and send copies to the following:

Dilma Vana Rousseff
Ministra de Minas e Energia
Fax: + 55 61 319 5074
Email: gabinete@mme.gov.br

Renan Calheiros
Presidente do Senado Federal
Fax: + 55 61 311 1695
Email: renan.calheiros@senador.gov.br

Severino José Cavalcanti Ferreira
Presidente da Câmara dos Deputados
Fax: + 55 61 215 2707
Email: dep.severinocavalcanti@camara.gov.br

In addition please also send copies to the ITF and to:

Severino Almeida Filho
Presidente
Confederacao Nacional dos Trabalhadores em Transportes Aquaviarios e Aereos Na Pesca e nos Portos (CONTTMAF)
Av. Pres. Vargas
446-Grupo 2205
Centro CEP 200085-900
Rio de Janeiro - RJ
Email: severino@conttmaf.org.br

With thanks in advance for your solidarity.

Yours fraternally

Jon Whitlow
Secretary
Seafarers’ Section

Model letter 1
Model letter 2