Oil Workers’ Strike Confirmed on May 3 at Petrobras Oil Platforms in Campos Basin

Northern Fluminense Oil Workers Protest Covid-19 Contamination on Petrobras Oil Rigs in the Campos Basin and Prepare to Strike on Monday (03)

A new strike by Petrobras oil workers is coming this Monday (3), according to information from the Single Federation of Oil Workers (FUP). The oil workers are mobilizing against Petrobras’ working conditions during this Covid-19 pandemic period. According to the Monitoring Bulletin, there are more than 6,000 infected workers.

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Petrobras Oil Platform in the Campos Basin Reports Rise in Infected Cases and New Strike by Oil Workers Will Emerge

According to FUP, there is an outbreak of Covid-19 on Petrobras’ oil platform, which could trigger a new strike by oil workers this Monday (03). According to data from ANP, there are more than 500 infected oil workers on vessels just in April. Petrobras workers operate in the Campos Basin, the second-largest oil and gas-producing region.

FUP also stated that several other oil platforms, beyond the Campos Basin, are suffering from the Covid outbreak; however, Petrobras is refusing to comply with the laws required by the government to prevent contagion and avoid triggering a strike by oil workers. By law, unions can only call a strike if there is approval from the company’s employees in an assembly. In the case of the state company, this could happen immediately, as assemblies had already taken place earlier, and the oil workers had already authorized the strike in the Campos Basin.

The FUP added that last week, it attempted to close a negotiation with Petrobras regarding working conditions on oil platforms during the Covid pandemic; however, the attempts were unsuccessful. The strike will not only be about conducting Covid-19 tests mid-way, at the end of the shift, and when boarding the platforms. The oil workers are also requesting that control measures be implemented for onshore workers and demand that all workers receive PFF2 protective masks from Petrobras.

The Despair That Could Trigger the New Strike by Oil Workers

FUP states that every week, it receives desperate requests from workers reporting Covid-19 cases on the oil platform in the Campos Basin. Workers spend about 14 days or more in these environments, which is more than enough time for them to arrive contaminated at an oil platform and end up infecting several other team members.

The organization reports that it is registering Covid outbreaks in several other locations not mentioned in recent months, with disembarkations, at times, of up to 20 workers.

Monitoring Bulletin

The Ministry of Mines and Energy (MME) released the 54th Monitoring Bulletin last Monday (4/26), which points to more than 6,000 Covid contamination cases on Petrobras oil platforms.

According to the bulletin, there are currently 192 confirmed cases, 6,153 recovered, 26 deaths, and 47 hospitalized. However, this bulletin does not include contracted workers who make up a large part of the workforce on the platforms.