Brazilian postal strike ends after compromise deal
The postal strike in Brazil has ended after nine days following union acceptance of a compromise deal agreed through a mediation body. Postal operator Correios is now working to clear a massive backlog of letters and parcels.
Postal workers voted on September 21 to accept a deal based on a 3.74 pct pay rise, a linear increase of R$60 (EUR 22.79) next January, a one-off payment of R$ 500 (EUR 189.92) now, a further one-off payment of R$391 (EUR 148.52) and various social benefits. The deal, negotiated via the country’s supreme labour tribunal, was a slight improvement on the original offer from Correios but substantially below the demands of the postal union Fentect.
The union agreed to try to clear the backlog of mail and parcels during the week ending September 29. Correios put the backlog in Sao Paulo state, which accounts for about 42 pct of Brazil’s mail, at 19.5 million items.
Thousands of staff of the country’s postal operator Empresa Brasileira de Correios e Telégrafos (ECT) had gone on strike on September 13.
