A report on the situation of the construction sector in Brazil prepared by FENATRACOP, a BWI affiliate, shows the disposal of the construction workers’ to fight for better salaries, working conditions and for changes in labor relations. According to the report about 150,000 workers crossed their arms in the first three months of 2012, achieving benefits such as 18% base salary increase, Profits Sharing system and substantial food stamps increase.

The construction in infrastructure projects have concentrated 80% of the strikes that happened in the first three months of 2012. Moreover, the report says that 75% of strikes occurred in the North, Northeast and Midwest of the country where the investments of the Growth Acceleration Plan (PAC, in Portuguese) are concentrated.

World Cup 2014: In the stadiums that have been constructed or renovated, workers have already went on strike 20 times since February 2011. In the first four months of 2012, workers crossed their arm five times, and the works of three of them (Arena Dunas / Natal, Castelao / Fortaleza, and Fonte Nova / Salvador) were paralyze last week. Each one has about 2,000 workers that stopped their activities for better wages and working conditions.

The strikes are not restricted to the works for the World Cup, on the contrary, strikes have popped up all around the country. Currently, in the state of Bahia, where there are about 30,000 workers of the heavy construction sector are on a general strike, they paralyzed works such as Via Expressa and Via Bahia, Polo Naval , the railway and the subway. Moreover, in Jirau, in the construction of a dam, the workers stopped the work for 25 days. In addition, in Espírito Santo in a construction site of Petrobras with approximately 2,700 employees, there is a strike that lasts more than two weeks.

National Unified Agenda: On March 6th, trade unions, federations and confederations that represent workers of the construction secto across the country delivered, with the support of the Building and Wood Workers International (BWI), a unified agenda that is a reference to local negotiations and establishes national standards for important workers claims such as minimum wage, family health care, overtime payment, five days off for every 60 worked, health and safety and others. Through the Campaign for Decent Work towards and beyond 2014, BWI promotes and participate of its affiliates actions