18 July, 2011
The ICEM-affiliated Brazil Oil and Gas Workers’ Unified Federation (FUP) conducted three days of selected work stoppages from 6-8 July at selected workplaces of state-controlled Petróleo Brasileiro, or Petrobrás. The protests reflect the union’s disgruntlement with the profit-sharing plan of the company, and work slowdowns occurred at some 65 worksites.
FUP is seeking higher profit-sharing payouts than the current and outdated 12% put in place in 2008. The union is demanding that workers receive an amount equal to the 25% dividend payments made to Petrobrás shareholders. The company, which ranks in the top of the world’s oil and gas producers, saw profits grow last year to R$35.2 billion, or US$22.7 billion.
FUP demands also call on the 56% state-owned company to drop special bonus payments to executives.
The strikes began 6 July at 35 offshore platforms in the ultra-deep Campos Basin off Brazil’s southeastern coast and spread the next day to exploration and production worksites in northern Bahia and Ceará states. Reduction of work hours on 7 July also occurred at the Cacimbas gas production plant in Espirito Santo state in southeastern Brazil.
On 8 July, FUP members delayed the start of their work day at the Campo do Amaro and Rancho da Forquiha on-land oilfields in northeastern Rio Grande do Norte state. And job actions also occurred at several of the company’s 11 refineries, bio-diesel plants, and administrative offices.
Petrobrás is Brazil’s largest corporation, the country’s leader retailer of oil and fuel-based products, and operates subsidiaries in 27 countries.