Oil Workers Call for “National Day of Struggle Against Privatizations”

Oil Workers Protested Today (30) in Several Parts of the Country Against the Sale of Refineries and Constant Increases in Fuel Prices, Calling Workers and the Public for a National Demonstration on May 6 – The National Day of Struggle Against Privatization.

Workers began protests today in Bahia, Minas Gerais, and Paraná against the sales of Petrobras refineries: Landulpho Alves – RLAM, Gabriel Passos – REGAP, and Usina do Xisto – SIX. Additionally, the protests are against the constant increases in fuel prices, the latest of which was announced today by Petrobras with a 3.5% increase in gasoline. The refineries are part of the 13 state units that will be sold, as announced last Friday, April 26.

Landulpho Alves – RLAM Protest

Representatives from the Petroleum Workers Union of Bahia (Sindipetro – BA) held a protest this morning, April 30, in front of the Landulpho Alves Refinery in São Francisco do Conde against the sale of the unit by Petrobras. With the demonstration, operations were suspended.

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The category remained at the site until around 10 AM and then gathered for a meeting. According to Sindipetro, depending on the outcome of the meeting, operations may be suspended for the entire day. According to the union, the protest is affecting traffic in the BA-523 region, in São Francisco do Conde.

The director of Sindipetro Bahia, Radiovaldo Costa, estimates that RLAM currently has about 3,000 direct jobs. “The announcement of the sale brings a lot of uncertainty about what will happen,” he lamented.

The Petrobras Landulpho Alves refinery started operations on September 17, 1950, being the second refinery built in the country and the first of the Petrobras system, where it undeniably fulfilled its role; without RLAM, the state of Bahia would not have the economic development it has today.

Usina do Xisto – SIX Protest

The workers at Usina do Xisto (SIX) held a demonstration this Tuesday morning around 07 AM in front of the industrial unit in São Mateus do Sul, in the central-southern region of Paraná. The SIX and the Presidente Getúlio Vargas Refinery (REPAR), located in Araucária, in the metropolitan region of Curitiba, are on the list for privatization.

The unit employs one thousand direct workers and another three thousand indirect workers. This is in a municipality of 45,000 inhabitants. It is estimated that the presence of the unit provides some form of income for at least one-third of São Mateus’ population. In 2015, SIX generated R$ 98 million in taxes and royalties. The City Hall of São Mateus, which received a share of R$ 20 million, had about 40% of its total revenue from the Usina that year.

The Union of Petroleum Workers of Paraná and Santa Catarina (Sindipetro) is concerned about the risks the privatization process poses to Usina do Xisto, risking closure as occurred with the Fertilizer Factories (Fafens) in Bahia and Sergipe that were put up for sale last year but did not attract buyers. In light of this, the company decided to hibernate the factories, meaning they were closed.

Gabriel Passos – REGAP Protest

The demonstration began around 7:30 AM during the shift change for REGAP workers. The union leaders made speeches from a sound truck, and the event remained peaceful. The movement included participation from other unions, such as the Postal Workers and Metalworkers.

The coordinator of the Petroleum Workers Union of Minas Gerais (Sindipetro-MG), Anselmo Braga, states that with privatization, fuel prices will rise further and that he does not rule out a strike by the category. The union will participate this Tuesday in a public hearing at the Legislative Assembly of the State of Minas Gerais to discuss the biodiesel plant in Monte Claros, in northern Minas.

Petrobras announced this Monday, April 29, that it has opened the bidding for the leasing of the Fafens, as the nitrogen fertilizer factories of the company in Sergipe (Fafen-SE) and Bahia (Fafen-BA) are known.