Brazil’s Postal Service Correios Is on an Open-Ended National Strike
BRAZIL · LABOUR
Key Facts
- —The start 22:00 on Thursday 10 September 2026. The first full working day affected was Friday.
- —The scope National and open-ended, called by the FINDECT federation after 35 of 36 state assemblies voted to strike.
- —The issue Management wants to stop funding the workers’ health plan. The union says the cost moves to staff and retirees.
- —The finances A first-half net loss of about 5.6 billion reais, roughly US$1.1 billion, after a full-year loss in 2025.
- —The response The company went to the Superior Labour Court on Friday asking it to rule the strike abusive.
- —The catch No adherence figure has been published. Nobody knows how much of the network is actually stopped.
The state postal company lost about US$1.1 billion in the first half of the year. Its workers have now stopped for as long as it takes.
Workers at Correios, the Brazilian state postal company, walked out at ten on Thursday night. The strike is national and has no end date.
It was called by FINDECT, the federation that represents postal workers. Thirty-five of thirty-six state assemblies voted for it.
The first full working day affected was Friday. Some outlets dated the start to Friday, but the union and the state news agency both give Thursday night.
What the Dispute Is About
The central issue is the health plan. Management wants to end its role as the plan’s funder.
The union says that shifts the cost onto employees, retirees and their dependants. Its line is that workers’ health is not something to play with.
Other demands sit behind it. They include keeping the 70 percent holiday bonus, double pay for work on rest days, and a year-end bonus.
Staff also want the reversal of a cut to a counter-service payment worth 500 reais, about US$98, a month.
What the Company Offered
Management put forward full inflation indexation of salaries backdated to 1 August. It said it would maintain health assistance.
It also offered to preserve 78 of the 80 clauses in the collective agreement. It cited what it called a very serious economic situation.
The previous agreement was imposed by the labour court in December 2025. It expired on 31 July 2026, which is why this dispute is live now.
The Money Behind It
The company lost about 5.6 billion reais, roughly US$1.1 billion, in the first half of 2026. That followed a loss of 8.5 billion reais, some US$1.67 billion, in 2025.
The 2025 result was the fourth consecutive annual loss. A large share of it came from unpaid labour judgments.
Correios raised 12 billion reais, about US$2.36 billion, in loans late in 2025. It is seeking a further 7 billion reais, some US$1.37 billion, with a Treasury guarantee.
Four private banks are in those talks. The Treasury was still processing the guarantee request this month.
The Restructuring Nobody Agreed To
A restructuring plan runs from 2025 to 2027. It targets annual savings of 4.2 billion reais, roughly US$825 million.
The tools are voluntary redundancy, branch closures, contract renegotiation and asset sales. The voluntary scheme aimed at 10,000 departures.
Only 3,075 people took it. Headcount has still fallen from about 90,000 to roughly 76,000.
In July, under an earlier strike threat, the company suspended parts of the plan. The counter-service payment cut and some branch closures were among them.
What Happens Next
Correios went to the Superior Labour Court on Friday 11 September. It asked the court to declare the strike abusive and to order minimum service levels.
No ruling had been issued by Saturday. Be careful with what is circulating online here.
Two labour court decisions widely shared this week are from December 2025, not from this strike. One ordered 80 percent minimum staffing and one authorised pay deductions.
Neither applies to the current stoppage. They belong to a different dispute that ended in the agreement which has now expired.
What It Means for You
Collection and sorting are disrupted and delays on parcel services are expected. The company says it has redeployed office staff to operational work.
It has also added vehicles and is working weekends. Branches are supposed to stay open.
No figure has been published for how many workers are out or how much of the network is stopped. Treat any percentage you see with suspicion.
If you are waiting on an overseas purchase, check the tracking code first. Not every international parcel is carried inside Brazil by the postal service.
For scale, the 2020 strike lasted 35 days. The December 2025 stoppage ran about two weeks.
The federal government had not commented publicly by Saturday. The loan guarantee it controls is the obvious lever.
More: Brazil news in English, every day from The Rio Times.
Frequently Asked Questions
When did the strike start?
At 22:00 on Thursday 10 September 2026. It is national and open-ended.
Why are postal workers striking?
Mainly over the health plan. Management wants to stop funding it, which the union says pushes the cost onto staff, retirees and dependants.
Will my parcel be delayed?
Collection and sorting are disrupted, so delays are likely. The company says branches remain open and it has redeployed staff to operations.
Has a court ordered them back to work?
No. Correios asked the Superior Labour Court on 11 September to declare the strike abusive, and no ruling had been issued by 12 September.
How bad are the finances?
A first-half 2026 net loss of about 5.6 billion reais, roughly US$1.1 billion, after four consecutive annual losses.
Sources: Agencia Brasil, CNN Brasil, FINDECT, Estado de Minas, O Tempo, CartaCapital, Migalhas.
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error
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