In 2023, Brazilian workers launched at least 1,132 strikes. The number is 6.08% higher than that recorded in 2022. The data is part of the study released by the Inter-Union Department of Statistics and Socioeconomic Studies (Dieese). The survey highlights some highlights:
- Most strikes take place in the public sphere of work;
- Salary adjustment is the main demand;
- In most strikes, there is some success in the demands and
- Privatizations did not prevent worker mobilizations.
The information was collected in the Strike Monitoring System (SAG-Dieese), which is based on news published in printed and electronic newspapers from the mainstream media and the union press.
General data
The 1,132 strikes in 2023 corresponded to a total of 42 thousand hours of downtime. In the public sphere, which includes the civil service and state-owned companies, there were 628 strikes (55.5%) and 29,352 hours of downtime. In the private sphere, 488 strikes (43.1%) and 12,202 hours of downtime.
When analyzing the duration of the mobilizations, the majority of them ended on the same day: 637 strikes or 56.3%. Another 279 strikes or 24.6% of them lasted between 2 and 5 days. And approximately 12% of them lasted more than 10 days.
Claims
The strikes were divided into four categories: purposeful, defensive, protest and solidarity. In the first case, new achievements or expansion of existing ones are proposed. In the second, there is the defense of working conditions, health and safety, and protest when established rights are violated. In the third, issues that go beyond work relationships are claimed. And lastly, there are actions that support strikes in other categories. Thus, 884 strikes had defensive propositions (78.1%), 564 raised propositional issues (49.8%) and 227 presented elements of protest (20.1%). None of them were characterized by attitudes of solidarity. It is important to point out that the same strike can bring together more than one of these categories.
When the demands are more detailed, the salary adjustment is the main issue for workers (40.3%). Next come protests over compliance with the minimum wage (26.7%), payment of late wages (21.7%), working conditions (20.9%), food (18.4%), improvement of services public sector (17.4%) and Job and Salary Plan (14.7%).
Resolutions and results
The Dieese study reinforces that not all information about a strike is always made available by the press. This is the case of the means adopted to resolve conflicts. Only 33% of all reported strikes had this information. From what was recorded, 82% of the mobilizations had open negotiations between the parties to the conflict. In 38% of cases, it was necessary for the Judiciary to become involved in the process.
When considering the results of the strikes, information is available in the press in 364 records, that is, 32% of the total. In the majority of these cases (67%), there was some type of success in the claims, whether fully (19.5%) or partially (47.5%). In other situations, the claims were rejected (21.6%) or negotiations continued (31.6%).
Sector analysis / Monthly evolution
The analysis of strikes month by month allows us to identify some patterns, according to Dieese. Those organized by workers in the private sphere are the majority at the beginning and end of the year. In 2023, it was like this in the months of January, February, October, November and December.
Delay in paying salaries is the main reason. Companies that operate concession and outsourcing contracts followed this path when they faced budget problems, such as seasonal expenses (thirteenth salary, vacation bonus). Last year, the public service began to concentrate the main strikes in March, especially because of teachers, who demanded compliance with the national minimum wage for the category of R$4,420.55. In municipal governments, there was resistance to accepting the legality of the minimum wage and teachers went on strike.
As of April, other categories in the public sphere opted for the same movement, with greater focus on salary adjustments. Highlighting the strikes of nursing professionals, mobilized by the implementation of the category floor. In July, with the recess in school activities and vacations for education professionals, there is a predominance of strikes by workers in the private sector, with an agenda focused on salary adjustments. In August and September, the civil service returns to lead labor conflicts and ask for inflationary replacement in salaries.
Privatizations
Dieese analyzes that not even the changes in labor legislation in 2020, intensified by the Covid-19 pandemic, stopped worker mobilizations. According to the institution, there was an increase in outsourcing, precarious relationships and privatizations. This resulted in excessive working hours, salary reductions, labor violations and a drop in the quality of service. More than half of the strikes in the private sector in 2023 (56%) involved outsourced workers who work in the public service: (nurses, doormen, receptionists, cleaning workers, kitchen workers, general services) or workers who work in private service concessionaires public transport (public transport, sweeping and garbage collection).
