SANTOS, Brazil — Longshoremen at Brazil’s largest port are scheduled to return to work on Tuesday after staging the longest strike since port privatization began in 1997.
Union leaders are expected to negotiate a buy-out package with government officials in Brasilia today, after agreeing to abide by legislated port labor reform.
“We are going to Brasilia to discuss the voluntary redundancy scheme and everything,” said Rodney da Silva, director of the National Federation of Longshoremen in Santos.
“The union is broke,” said Francisco Herrero, the union’s legal adviser and spokesman. “They are going to abide by the law.”
The union launched the strike two weeks ago to protest the transfer of labor-appointment responsibilities to a privately financed workers’ pool called OGMO. That transfer was called for in a 1993 law.
Earlier reports announced that the strike would end today as some dockworkers reportedly agreed to suspend their movement at a private fertilizer terminal during the weekend. But Silva was noncommittal about an imminent return to work.
“Maybe, maybe not,” he said.
Meanwhile, ship crews and nonunion terminal staff continue to work vessels at the container terminals. Thirteen vessels were berthed at the port this morning and 26 others were waiting at the mouth of the port.
