News

Brazilian bank workers’ strike started on Thursday, Sep 19, and in two days, the number of closed bank branches and administrative offices rose from 6,145 units to 7,282, including both public and private banks. This report was made on Friday 20 by Contraf-CUT, the National Confederation of Financial Sector Workers, based on data submitted by 143 local unions that are represented in the National Leadership of Bank Workers. Even the Administrative Center of Bradesco, one of the largest private banks, was closed by bank workers in the City of God , in Osasco, São Paulo. The number of closed units jumped 18.5% on the second day of national strike.



"The movement is growing rapidly throughout Brazil, which shows the unrest of bank workers with the banks intransigence. Bank employees increased productivity, helping companies to achieve record profits - only the six largest banks profited around US$ 13 billion in the first half of the year. It is the highest profitability of the global financial system, but the bankers ignore our demands, “says Carlos Cordeiro, president of Contraf-CUT and coordinator of the National Leadership of Bank Workers.



Brazilian bank workers want 11.93 % of increase (the inflation rate – 6.1% plus 5% real increase), improvement of the wage floor, higher profit share, more jobs and end of turnover, better working conditions and health, more security against bank robberies and equal opportunities . They approved the indefinite time strike at meetings held throughout the country on the 12th, after four rounds of negotiation with Fenaban, the employers’ organisation. Banks submitted one single proposal on the 5th of September, with an increase of 6.1 % (inflation rate of the period of a year) , rejected by bank workers at meetings around the country.

"Banks said at the negotiating table that they do not intend to grant real increase to their employees. How come they do not intend to do it? According to Dieese, the inter-union department of statistics and social economic studies, 84.5 % of wage agreements made ​​this year in Brazil have real salary increase, and the banking sector, the most profitable one, refuses to follow this trend! “questions Carlos Cordeiro.

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Source: Contraf-CUT

Fonte: http://www.contrafcut.org.br/noticias.asp?CodNoticia=35862

See Portuguese version in the attached file