Oil Workers Threaten Strike, Risk Of Coronavirus Contamination On Petrobras Platforms “Is Very High,” Says FUP

Petrobras Declared That It Has Been Checking the Physical Condition and Reinforcing Health Guidelines to Its Employees at the Onboarding for Offshore Units

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Petrobras employees threaten a new strike – for “right to refuse work”. For Oil Workers Providing Services on Petrobras Platforms, Know Which COVID-19 Measures Are in Place at Airports

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José Maria Rangel, director of the Unique Federation of Oil Workers (FUP), said that the decision will be made if Petrobras refuses to meet with the unions on issues regarding COVID-19 prevention.

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Provided for in clause 63 of the current Collective Labor Agreement of Petrobras, the “right to refuse” protects the worker. The document guarantees employees the right to suspend their activities if they believe that their “life and/or physical integrity and/or that of their coworkers and/or the facilities and/or the environment are in serious and imminent risk.”

According to the FUP director, there is a very high risk of contamination by the new coronavirus on the platforms, he states that Petrobras has been providing employees with generic safety guidelines from Petrobras, repeating the recommendations from the SUS and the federal government, with adaptations to what is recommended by the Ministry of Health and state governments.

“However, it [Petrobras] forgets that the activity it performs has several particularities and that, as the largest company in the country, it must set an example,” says José Maria.

FUP and Sindipetro-NF demand the state-owned company implement measures to prevent contamination by the new coronavirus.

Earlier this week, FUP and Sindipetro-NF charged Petrobras to adopt measures to prevent the new coronavirus.

The unions are demanding Petrobras, via a statement, that the temperature of oil workers also be measured at the entrances of the company’s land bases and in collective transport.

Yesterday (18), Petrobras issued a statement informing that it has been checking the physical condition and reinforcing health guidelines to its employees at the onboarding for offshore units.

The Brazilian oil company also informed that if any worker onboard shows symptoms, “he will be immediately disembarked and there will be monitoring for all people who had close contact.”

However, the union leader argues that simply measuring temperature is not enough because the incubation period of the virus can take up to seven days, meaning the worker could embark with the virus, have their temperature measured, and not show fever, thus contaminating others.

José Maria emphasizes that the conditions of transport to the platforms and the air conditioning system of the units contribute to the spread of the virus.

About a thousand people transit daily at the Helipad of Farol de São Tomé, in Campos dos Goytacazes (RJ), causing a gathering of oil workers at the Helipad while waiting for medical screening.

For José Maria, Petrobras needs to suspend work activities in the administrative areas, placing key personnel in telework; ensuring that outsourced workers receive full payment of their salaries; and only allowing the boarding of employees on the platforms after quarantine – proposals that will be formalized by FUP on Thursday (3/19).

As a safety measure for its employees to avoid contamination by the new coronavirus, Petrobras has adopted since Tuesday (3/17), the home office system for its executive board, aiming to have at least 50% of the workforce operating remotely in the coming weeks.

Regarding national production and fuel supply, José Maria stated that there are currently no impacts caused by the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, he does not rule out that this may happen in the future.