National Port Workers Strike: Workers Protest Against Drastic Changes in Sector Law

This Tuesday (22), port workers across Brazil went on a 12-hour strike to protest proposed changes to the Port Law (Law 12.815/2013). The strike highlights serious concerns, such as the elimination of night shift bonuses, cuts to risk pay, and the outsourcing of strategic functions like port security.

Organized by the National Federation of Port Workers (FNP), the National Federation of Stevedores (FNE), and the National Federation of Cargo and Unloading Workers (Fenccovib), the action involves over 50,000 workers at ports throughout the country. These unions argue that the changes threaten workers' rights and job security, while reducing union participation in collective bargaining agreements.

Mário Teixeira, president of Fenccovib, stated that the strike is a response to a report and draft bill that strip port workers of long-standing rights, limit exclusive employment contracts for port workers, and eliminate legally recognized job categories. "We are protesting against the exclusion of unions from negotiations and the reduction of our labor market," Teixeira said.

Teixeira also criticized the commission of legal experts in the Chamber of Deputies responsible for drafting the new proposal, emphasizing that the category opposes the repeal of the current port law, which involved all 151 port unions in the country. The movement also has international union support, adding weight to the mobilization.