Brazil: Bus drivers strike in São Paulo City ends

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – According to the City Hall, the bus strike has ended in São Paulo City. The strike ended on Tuesday, June 14, at 3:20 PM after a deal between the parties.

The employer’s union, represented by SPUrbanuss, accepted the demands of the Union of Drivers and Workers in Urban Road Transport of São Paulo (Sindmotoristas), an entity ahead of the drivers and collectors.

The strike began early this morning, affecting at least 713 lines and 6,500 buses, which would carry 1.5 million passengers in the morning peak.

According to SPTrans, the service on the paralyzed lines is gradually being resumed and should be normalized by the end of the day.

SPTrans monitors the city’s fleet’s return to minimize the population’s impact.

According to SPUrbanuss, which represents the sector’s business people, the agreement was made after the opinion of the Public Ministry of Labor, which would have considered the strike legal, and also the demand for the payment of a 12.47% readjustment, starting in May.

The negotiations of the salary campaign for São Paulo’s drivers started in March, with several meetings with the employer sector.

The request for a 12.47% salary readjustment, referring to the INPC/IBGE index, was accepted but only starting in October.

With the announcement of the strike, the Regional Labor Court of the 2nd Region (TRT-2) determined “the guarantee of circulation of 80% of the workforce during peak hours (6 AM to 9 AM and 4 PM to 7 PM) and 60% during other periods. In case of non-compliance, there would be a daily fine of R$50,000 (US$9,750).

“There was no maintenance, in the morning period, of the 80% of the fleet required, as was decided by the Labor Court. And now, during the rush hour, the 60% was not maintained either,” said the Executive Secretary of Transportation and Urban Mobility, Gilmar Pereira Miranda.

SPUrbanuss informed that bus operations have started to be resumed.

List of companies whose fleet is circulating gradually:

• Express (East Zone);
• Via Sudeste (Southeast Zone);
• Gatusa (South Zone).

List of companies with the operation paralyzed in their garages:

• Santa Brígida (North Zone);
• Gato Preto (North Zone);
• Sambaíba (North Zone);
• Viação Metrópole (East Zone);
• Ambiental (East Area);
• Campo Belo (South);
• Viação Grajaú (South);
• KBPX (South);
• MobiBrasil (South Area);
• Viação Metrópole (South Area);
• Transppass (West Side);
• Gato Preto (West Zone).

List of companies operating normally – Local Distribution Group:

• Norte Buss (North Zone);
• Spencer (North Zone);
• Transunião (East Zone);
• UPBUS (East Side);
• Pêssego (East);
• Allibus (East Side);
• Transunião (South East);
• MoveBuss (East Area);
• A2 Transportes (South Area);
• Transwolff (South);
• Transcap (West Zone);
• Alfa Rodobus (West Side).

With information from Estadão