| Written by PSTU – Brasil |
| Thursday, 14 June 2012 16:47 |
 The demonstration called by the federal public servers’ entities has shown the entire category’s indignation at Dilma’s government intransigence towards the workers’ demands. Gathering roughly 15,000 people, the march was attended by the overwhelming majority of the public servers, the federal university faculty who are in a strong strike since May 17, and students, who are already on strike at 30 universities. Showing the public servers strong willingness to fight, the march departed from the Cathedral, walked around the Three Powers Square, (Praça dos Três Poderes) and when returning, concentrated in front of Block K of the Ministries, where the office of Minister of Planning, Miriam Belchior is located. The protesters held a protest outside the building and demanded to be received by the Minister. In face of her absence, they were received by the Secretary Valter Correia, who agreed to meet with representatives of 13 organizations of the civil service, including the trade unions federations CSP-Conlutas, CUT and CTB. The servers claim a salary readjustment of 22.08% (relative to inflation and GDP growth since 2010) as well as a permanent salary policy, which includes salary increases in line with inflation, enhancement of the base salary and incorporation of the bonuses in the salary. They also claim the right to collective negotiation in the public sector, defining the base date for every May and compliance with several agreements already signed and not fulfilled by the government. Refuse to compromise  “We report to the Secretary the intransigence with which the government has been treating our movement, this is reflected in the fact that after eight meetings with the Secretary of Labor Relations, Sergio Mendonça, no progress has taken place,”said Paulo Barela, from the Executive Board of CSP-Conlutas and who attended the meeting. The servers asked not only for other interlocutor to negotiate with the category, given the current government representative’s lack of political will to resolve the impasse, but also the effective opening of negotiations. The representative of the minister, however, reiterated the government’s current policy. Besides stating that Sergio Mendonça would continue at the head of negotiations, he also said that the government would meet no more servers if they insisted on their intention to go on strike on June 11. “We think this is a setback, because today we are not on strike and the government does not present any proposal. He met us but there is still no progress”, says Barela. The government says it will submit a proposal only on July 31, on the eve of the deadline for the vote on the Annual Budget Law in August. “The government wants to present a proposal at the last minute to prevent a greater mobilization”, says the representative of the CSP-Conlutas. Valter Correia has committed to look for Sérgio Mendonça and the Minister in order to discuss the merits of the issue, returning with an answer next week. “We told him that considering the merits means presenting figures and practical proposals”, said Barela. Servers reaffirm strike The servers, however, have shown that they will not count on it; they will not hold their breath. In the afternoon they carried out a unified plenary session organized by the National Forum of Federal Entities of Servers which gathered over than one thousand people. After an evaluation of the movement in the different areas the servers reaffirmed their disposition to start a general strike of federal servers as from June 11. They also approved a massive demonstration to be performed during the Peoples’ Summit, which occurs in parallel to the Rio +20, next June 20, besides the formation of a national strike command and mobilization. Students protest at MEC The June 5th was also marked by the student protest at the Ministry of Education in support of striking faculty of federal universities. While workers strike has already reached 51 federal institutions across the country, the students approved their own strike in 30 of them. Students were concentrated in front of MEC and were repressed by police with pepper spray and sticks when they attempted to occupy the building. “We were more than two thousand students there, we performed a jongleur to discuss the protest and, showing a lot of outrage for the current status at the federal universities, we approved occupying the ministry building,” said Clara Scott, from ANEL (National Assembly of Students- Free) By the time we were entering the ministry building to request to meet the Minister Aloizio Mercadante, we were strongly repressed. The president of UNE, (National Union of Students) Daniel Iliescu, told the media that “vandalism” was carried out by a “minority”, with no deliberation of the movement. The entity (UNE) did not bring students to the march, only a few directors. The Education Minister met a committee of teachers on strike, but has not progressed in the negotiations. |
