Oi faces service outages and staff layoffs amid financial turmoil

A supplier to the telecom operator Oi, Grupo Sitelbra, cut services over unpaid bills, triggering a blackout that affected 70 Caixa Econômica Federal lottery branches in 18 Brazilian states, 294 police‑camera data circuits, 36 Enel electricity circuits in Ceará and roughly 1,000 Oi customer links. The 7ª Vara Empresarial of Rio de Janeiro ordered the supplier to restore the connections within 12 hours, imposing a daily fine of R$ 5 million.

Separately, Oi, under judicial administration, negotiated with the Fitratelp, Livre and Fenattel unions on a plan to dismiss non‑essential staff. The agreement, pending judicial approval, sets progressive FGTS penalties, a 1‑to‑4‑month payout schedule, limits on meal‑voucher deductions and a 90‑day continuation of health‑plan coverage. The layoffs are slated to begin on 7 August.

Both developments underscore Oi’s severe cash‑flow constraints and the broader impact on public services and employees across Brazil.