After two days of stoppage in the fight for higher wages and better working conditions, outsourced workers from companies that provide services to Petrobras at the Alberto Pasqualini Refinery (Refap), through union representations, won a way of dialogue in mediation held at the Regional Court of Labor of the 4th Region (TRT4), this Tuesday afternoon (31). Among the claims is the equalization of the salary paid in other refineries in the country, which in RS is 30% lower, in addition to other benefits.
The movement started on Monday (30), when workers spontaneously went on strike, paralyzing activities and starting a demonstration in front of the company, which is located on BR-116, in Canoas (RS). The strikers work at the companies Estrutural, Estel, Engevale, Manserv, Contratec and Darcy Pacheco, which have around 4,500 workers at Refap.
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According to the president of the Metalworkers Union of Canoas and Nova Santa Rita (STIMMMEC), Paulo Chitolina, the mediation took place in order to formalize the strike movement, since the workers started the demonstration outside the union movement. “There was no 48-hour notice to inform the strike, so on Monday afternoon we notified the companies, but they went to court with a request for abusiveness of the strike, so yesterday there was mediation”, he explains.
Chitolina informs that it was agreed to suspend the stoppage, maintaining the state of strike. On Thursday morning (2), there will be a new mediation at TRT4, when the specific agenda for workers will be discussed. In addition to STIMMMEC, the Union of Workers in the Civil Construction Industry (STICC) and the commission of outsourced workers also participate in the negotiations.
The Unions of Petroleum Workers in Rio Grande do Sul (Sindipetro-RS), Metallurgists in Greater Porto Alegre (STIMEPA) and Road Transport Workers in Canoas (Sintrocan) have also been supporting and contributing to the organization of the outsourced struggle at Refap.
Outsourced workers demand equal pay with Petrobras refinery workers in other states, which is up to 30% higher than in RS. In addition, the collective agenda asks for reimbursement of air tickets and costs for those who came from outside RS, increase in food values, premium hours at the end of the maintenance stoppage, participation in the Profit and Results Program (PLR), provision of rights labor costs in the contracts (40% of the termination fine and unemployment insurance) and the payment of 100% for overtime on Saturdays.
In the mediation, in exchange for the suspension of the strike until further mediation, the representatives of the companies undertook not to discount the days on strike and to open immediate negotiations on the allowance and travel expenses for workers who came from other states. They also made a commitment not to dismiss workers who participated in the strike.
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Source: BdF Rio Grande do Sul
Editing: Katia Marko
