The biggest group of oil workers unions in Brazil has delayed its planned strike action against Petrobras by a couple of days, according to Reuters.
The FUP was going to start its open ended action on Friday but has put it off to Sunday. Union officials said the delay is purely strategic.
It is striking to protest the state oil firm’s cost-cutting and budget tightening which have seen thousands laid off, investment slashed (by $90 billion on a five-year projection) and assets being sold off (around $15bn-worth by the end of next year).
Those moves are necessary, says Petrobras, because of the confluence of misfortunes that have plagued it: the plunge in the oil price; government requirements compelling Petrobras to be involved in certain projects; and, most of all, the money and reputation it has lost because of the corruption scandal that has engulfed it over the past year.
The FUP said it decided to postpone the start of its action after its officials walked out of a bargaining session with the company on Thursday.
If it does go ahead on Sunday it would hit all operational and administrative units of Petrobras including the terminals of Transpetro, the company’s shipping and gas pipeline unit.
