Os subways in São Paulo decided to end the strike this Friday morning (24) after two days of sitting idly by. The category accepted a proposal from the state government for the payment of a salary bonus and the creation of a PPR (Profit Sharing Plan).
The decision was announced at 9:40 am shortly after voting in the assembly. Voting was very close: 49.3% of subway workers voted to resume activities (1,480 votes), but 48.6% wanted the strike to continue (1,459 votes). Another 2.1% abstained from voting (62 votes).
The proposal contemplates the payment, in April, of an allowance in the amount of R$ 2,000 and the institution of a PPR (Profit Sharing Program) referring to 2023, to be paid in 2024.
From now on, users should notice a gradual increase in service provision, but normalization should take a few hours. In a note, the São Paulo government said that it “awaits the return of employees to their duties to completely normalize their operations” (read below in full).
At 10:30 am, lines 1-Blue, 2-Green and 3-Red were partially operational. Line 15-Silver was still completely paralyzed.
What the SP government says
“RESUME OF OPERATION
The Metrô will resume operations in full, with 100% of the staff returning to activities, after the Union of Subway Workers accepts the Company’s proposal to end the strike. The company awaits the return of employees to their duties to completely normalize its operations.
The proposal contemplates the payment in April of a salary bonus in the amount of BRL 2 thousand and the institution of the 2023 Profit Sharing Program, to be paid in 2024.”
metro workers’ strike
The stoppages began on Thursday (23) and affected lines 1-Blue, 2-Green, 3-Red and 15-Silver. Around 7 am this Friday (24th), the Metro implemented a contingency plan and some stretches were partially functional.
Until mid-morning, the operation of the Metro lines, under the responsibility of the São Paulo government, was as follows:
– 1-Blue, between Ana Rosa and Luz stations.
– 2-Green, between Alto do Ipiranga and Clínicas.
– 3-Red, between Santa Cecília and Bresser/Mooca.
– 15-Silver remains completely closed.
Yesterday, the first day of the strike, there was no agreement between the Union of Subway Workers and Metrô. The workers considered going back to work as long as the turnstile was released so as not to jeopardize service to the population. The idea didn’t pan out.
During the afternoon, union and Metrô representatives participated in a meeting at TRT-2 (Regional Labor Court of the 2nd Region), which ended without an agreement. The MPT presented a payment proposal of BRL 2,500 per year between 2020 and 2022 as a bonus and without discounting the days of stoppage or applying punishments to employees.
Also on Thursday, labor judge Eliane Aparecida da Silva Pedroso fined Metrô R$ 100,000 for preventing employees from operating with free turnstiles and considered it an “anti-union practice”.
Metro strike leaves crammed CPTM stations and buses: