Large Brazilian union rejects Petrobras proposal to end strike

By Fabio Teixeira and Rodrigo Viga Gaier

RIO DE JANEIRO, Dec 26 (Reuters) – Brazilian union Sindipetro-NF, one of the largest representing Petrobras workers, has rejected the most recent proposal by the state-run oil firm to end a 12-day-long strike, it said in a statement on Friday.

Sindipetro-NF represents about 25,000 workers in the oil industry, including ones in Petrobras’ offshore oil platforms in the Campos basin, the second-highest for oil production in Brazil.

Petrobras said in a statement that so far the strike has had no impact on production, as it is using contingency crews to keep operations ongoing.

Sindipetro-NF is the largest union under FUP, an umbrella organization for oil workers. FUP’s board had accepted the Petrobras proposal, but the matter still had to be voted by workers themselves.

While all other 13 unions under FUP voted to end the strike, the Sindipetro-NF rejection means the protest is set to continue in at least some sites.

Not all unions representing Petrobras workers are under FUP, however. The board of a different umbrella organization, FNP, has voted to keep the protest going, advising unions under it to do the same.

The dispute could be long, sources told Reuters, as it deals with complex issues involving the state-run firm’s pension funds and deductions over payments to pensioners.

(Reporting by Fabio Teixeira and Rodrigo Viga Gaier in Rio de Janeiro; Editing by Nick Zieminski and Alistair Bell)