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A Future Truckers’ Strike Is Coming Soon with the New Stop on February 1st
On Tuesday (5), representatives of truck drivers decided to hold a general strike of the entire category across Brazil; the strike will take place on the first day of February. This strike decision was made at the Extraordinary General Assembly of the CNTRC (National Council of Road Transport). The year 2019 also witnessed a strike, with the main cause being freight and diesel prices, where the government attempted to prevent this stoppage. There was also the announcement of a Petrobras Truckers Card, which would freeze the price of diesel for 90 days for drivers who purchased in advance.
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Rising Fuel Prices Cause New Strike with Truckers’ Stoppage
The main action of the drivers, in light of this new strike and the stoppage of the category, is against the absurd rise in fuel prices, which is deemed abusive. The truck drivers are also seeking, among other demands, the establishment of a minimum freight rate for autonomous transporters, a special retirement plan, a regulatory framework for transportation, and more active oversight by the ANTT.
According to the Autonomous Goods Transport Union of Feira de Santana and Region (Sintracam), on February 1st, truck drivers will stay at home. “Only buses and small cars will pass on the highways. Trucks will not pass,” said a class representative.
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The strike was approved at the end of 2020, which divides the category, and local unions say they will not join the truck drivers’ stoppage.
Truck Driver Unions Fear Being Held Responsible for the Strike Due to Truckers’ Stoppage by the Courts
Despite the mobilization having been called in 2020, the truck driver unions consulted by the political analysis company Arko Advice evaluate and consider that the movement will not gain traction. They fear being held legally responsible for a truckers’ stoppage in the midst of a pandemic.
“This is not the time for any stoppage, as the presidential decree that designates cargo transport as an essential service is still in effect. Any stoppage of transport at this moment could be considered a crime for those who organized and those who joined the strike. We also understand that the strike has a political nature and not one that benefits the category,” argues Everaldo Bastos, President of the Union of Autonomous Truck Drivers of the Vale do Paraíba (SP).
