Brazil Court Orders Workforce to Stay at 80% as Petrobras Strike Drags On

(Credit: Petrobras)

Brazil's Superior Labor Court ruled staffing levels to remain at 80% at all Petrobras facilities in Brazil as negotiations between workers at the state-run oil company drag on amid a prolonged strike.

In a statement from the court, the ruling made on Saturday also bars worker unions from blocking the transportation of workers and equipment to and from facilities, including those of Petrobras' logistics subsidiary Transpetro.

“We continue working and ensuring production and supply," Sylvia dos Anjos, head of exploration and production, told Reuters on Sunday.

Petrobras workers began a strike on Dec. 15.

On Friday, labor union Sindipetro-NF, which represents about 25,000 workers in Brazil's oil industry, rejected the most recent proposal by the state-run oil firm to end the two-week strike.

Regarding the Saturday ruling, Sindipetro-NF said the court also ordered Petrobras to provide information including headcount by operating unit, job title, and function, calling the decision "a victory."

FNP, a separate group also on strike representing some 26,000 workers, said keeping Petrobras staffing levels at 80% "is unenforceable".

It is unclear when the dispute will end as salary talks also involve complex issues regarding Petrobras' pension funds and deductions over payments to pensioners.

(Reuters - Reporting by Rodrigo Viga Gaier, Writing by Ana ManoEditing by Nick Zieminski)