Truck Drivers’ Strike: What Are the Protest Points in SC?

Despite the expectation of low adherence to the truck drivers’ strike for the upcoming holiday (02), some key points in Santa Catarina may serve as centers for demonstrations, such as the BR 101, which is used to go to the state of Paraná and crosses several cities in Santa Catarina, including Itajaí.

According to Adilson de Souza, a truck driver from the sector who was interviewed by Click Petróleo Gás, it is expected that it could spread until the end of the week if the federal government does not accept the main requests, which are: to reduce the minimum retirement age, which has been set to 65 years, and to tax the fuels used daily, such as diesel, which has risen to over R$ 6.2 in the state.

“We still don’t know how it will be. Not everything is organized. But it is already known that a large part of the companies may stop because of the demonstration. Whether there will be many or few people joining, I don’t know, but there will be. As for the consequences, we can predict what they will be, and they are the same as in February and September, when the largest demonstrations occurred: an increase in the dollar and instability in the stock market next Wednesday (03)”, said Adilson.

Despite the possibility of a stoppage, the Federal Highway Police (PRF) stated in an interview with the Engeplus channel that, despite the monitoring, they did not find blocked sections during the early morning. It is expected that the blockade centers will start to appear around 8 a.m.

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“We Don’t Know Many Things”, Say Some Truck Drivers

Adilson stated in an interview that during the month of September, even after the Independence Day holiday, he was unable to go to the state of Paraná because the roads were being blocked. As a result, the company he works for would have lost sales since they were out of stock and could not sell to customers. The consequences of the demonstrations are still uncertain. However, the economy may react in the same way it did during previous meetings and stoppages in the sector: an increase in the dollar and fuel prices, instability in the stock market.

“During the month of September, after the holiday, there were still some groups that were strong on important BR roads. That’s why I couldn’t go to Paraná to pick up a load. I work in Brusque, Santa Catarina. Many people were calling me, asking for gas. But there was nothing. I think that most of the people calling were afraid of not having stock due to the uncertainty of when the strike would end!”, said Adilson, who works with other truck drivers in the sector.

Last week, Rodrigo Pacheco, president of the Senate, stated that he intended to hold a meeting with the president of Petrobras, Luna e Silva, to discuss the current pricing policy. The meeting is expected to be scheduled soon after the holiday. The constant variations began soon after the Temer government, which determined that Petrobras could fluctuate according to market rhythms and would be more flexible.

In Santa Catarina, it is expected that the price of diesel and gasoline will exceed R$ 7 per liter by December. Other states are experiencing the same situation, including Acre, which reached over R$ 7.5. Minas Gerais, according to FDR, has an average price of R$ 7.30. More pessimistic economists argue that the price may reach over R$ 8 depending on the policies adopted at the state and federal levels.