MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Petrobras workers complete 24-hour strike

No further stoppages are planned unless the company fails to negotiate with workers, union leader Sinésio Pontes explained

Petrobras workers across Brazil completed Thursday a 24-hour strike in demand of greater union involvement in company negotiations, preserving teleworking conditions, and addressing cuts to Profit Sharing (PLR). The measure was encouraged by Brazil's Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers' Union (Sindipetro PE/PB).

The protesters objected to Petrobras’ plan to shift the hybrid work model from two in-person days to three, a change the company intends to enforce starting April 7, 2025, without union agreement. Other concerns included workforce reduction (down 40,000 since 2015), safety issues (six fatalities in 2024), and a 30% PLR cut despite unchanged shareholder dividends.

Union leader Sinésio Pontes warned of a potential indefinite strike if negotiations are not opened, especially ahead of the 2025 collective agreement. According to Pontes, there are no plans for a new strike or assembly so far unless Petrobras fails to convene workers for wage negotiations.

“Petrobras wants to unilaterally change this teleworking regime to three in-person days and two remote days. The company is already putting out individual terms of adhesion for people to join, but without going through any negotiations with the unions,” he explained. “This intransigence on the part of Petrobras to negotiate, whether it's variable pay or teleworking, already signals that we need to go back to the negotiating table,” he added.

Pontes also noted that “despite the union's demands, Petrobras is not aware that the units need more people. We've had a very sharp decrease in the number of Petrobras workers, with a reduction of 40,000 workers in less than nine years. The workforce has been shrinking since 2015. If we continue on this path, it will take more than 30 years to reach the level of 2014,” he said.

“We will have a 30% reduction in the amount that was agreed, while shareholders will have the same amount distributed in the form of dividends. This gives the worker a bad image that Petrobras is not interested in sharing the company's results with the workers,” Pontes also mentioned.

Petrobras stated the strike did not affect production and emphasized its respect for demonstrations. The company defended the teleworking adjustment as part of its Strategic Plan, noting it proposed a two-year labor agreement to unions. It also highlighted hiring efforts (1,900 new employees in 2024 and 1,780 planned for 2025) and affirmed compliance with the 2024/2025 PLR agreement, maintaining an open dialogue with unions.

According to Petrobras, as of April 7, 2025, all employees must work three days a week in person. “In addition, the company presented a proposal to the unions for a specific labor agreement to make this adjustment for a period of two years,” the company said in a statement.

“Petrobras also clarifies that it has already been replenishing its workforce, having called on more than 1,900 new employees in 2024. The company has also publicly announced that it will hire 1,780 new employees over the course of 2025, coming from public tenders at a technical level,” the communiqué also highlighted.