96% of Brazil's postal workers now back at work
Brazil’s striking workers reported back to work today, with the Post and Telegraph Company (ECT) reporting that a “normal atmosphere” had returned after Tuesday’s back-to-work court order. ECT said today that 96% of its employees who had been on strike had now returned to work. Workers in three states are understood to be still refusing to work.
The Post said it was hoping to get its mail distribution services across Brazil back to normal within seven to 10 days.
However, services suspended during the strike – including expres services SEDEX 10 and SEDEX Hoje, as well as home pick-up service Disque-Coleta – will not resume until October 24.
Wagner Pinheiro de Oliveira, the ECT president, said: “The workers who were on strike are being received back with attention, respect and professionalism – they are so important to the company, and those who continued working, and are part of a team that aims to serve the customer, Brazilian society and improve the public asset that is the Post Office.”
This weekend will see the returning workers joining ECT’s special national task force of volunteers working to reduce the backlog of letters and parcels that has built up during the strike, which ran for about 28 days from September 14, involving between 20% and 32% of the 110,000 work force across Brazil.
Brazilian media are reporting that 185m letters and parcels are currently awaiting delivery across Brazil, and that the 28-day strike ended up costing ECT around $300m USD.
Yesterday, the last day of the strike, saw 8m letters and parcels delivered and 17.8m processed ready for delivery, according to ECT.
