Brazil’s Ministry of Planning, Paulo Bernardo, declared that the government intends to centralize negotiations with the federal civil servants who went on strike today.
According to the National Confederation of Federal Civil Service Workers (Condsef), workers from the Ministries of Agriculture, Finance, Health, Labor, and Social Security, the National Indian Foundation (Funai), the National Health Foundation (Funasa), the National Institute of Colonization and Agrarian Reform (Ibama), the Brazilian Institute of Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (Ibama), and the Attorney-General’s Office (AGU) halted their activities for an undetermined period.
Due to the strike all the 1,189 branches of the INSS (Social Security) will be closed across the nation. The INSS workers want a 18% raise in wages, besides replacement of losses since 1998, which they estimate amount to 61%.
The list of grievances includes recovery of salary losses, which, according to the Condesf, amount to 150% in some cases. The civil servants also demand the establishment of a salary policy that incorporates benefits.
The striking workers are also calling for parity between active workers, retired workers, and pensioners, as well as new civil service exams. The Condsef represents around 600 thousand workers throughout the country. Around 200,000 workers all over Brazil have adhered to the strike.
Agência Brasil