The Federal Government will decide on Tuesday to release a credit line of R$75 million, through the Federal Savings Bank, for a programme of Voluntary Severance (PDV) of around 2,000 Santos dockers.
This information is from the Santos Mayor Beto Mansur (PPB), after taking part in a meeting Monday night in the Plateau Palace, with Ministers Pedro Parente (Casa Civil) and Eliseu Padilha (Transport) and the leader of the Chamber of Deputies Arnaldo Madeira (PSDP-SP).
Mansur explained that at 10 a. m. Tuesday there will be another meeting at the Palace for the government to reveal the formula for releasing the money.
The portworkers also demanded the creation of a Qualification Centre, installed in the Port of Santos, which would train the professionals who will join the Severance Scheme. The Mayer said that this project will employ resources of the Workers Support Fund (FAT).
The President of the Stevedores Union of Santos, São Vicente, Guarujá e Cubatão, Vanderlei José da Silva, said that the return to work from Tuesday represented a vote of confidence in the Federal Government in re-opening talks. For the trade unionist, if this does not lead to an agreement the dockers could re-evaluate the situation. However, he did not wish to say whether the port workers could strike again.
Mansur explained that the R$75 million would be repaid by the Bank to the órgão Gestor de Mão de Obras (OGMO, the Labour Management Agency) and the port operators who would remain in charge of putting into practice the programme of dismissals. The Mayor stated that the specific line of credit would have lower interest rates than normal loans.
Another question concerns lost wages. According to Mansur, the port workers have not had gained through the disputes of 1998 and 1999. The trade unionist Vanderlei Silva stated that the Superior Labour Court (TST) suspended the percentage of wage adjustment at 4. 5% (1998) and 3% (1999). “This had been set in the dispute judged by the TRT,” he affirmed.
