Petrobras confronts union demand for single salary plan and re‑nationalization agenda

On July 30, Petrobras' human‑resources management presented its first proposal for a new career and salary plan to the Federação Única dos Petroleiros (FUP) and affiliated unions, fulfilling a commitment made at the end of the December 2025 strike. The draft addresses career structuring and internal mobility but omits salary progression. Union leaders, including coordinator‑general Cibele Vieira, pressed for a single, transparent plan covering the entire Petrobras system, repair of distortions caused by the coexistence of two plans, and inclusion of all workers, noting that only the subsidiary Transpetro has signaled support.

The 20th FUP Congress held in Salvador from July 20‑24 gathered about 400 oil‑sector workers from 14 unions. The meeting elected the federation's first female coordinator and achieved a record 33 % female representation on the executive board. Delegates unanimously endorsed President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's re‑election and adopted resolutions calling for the re‑nationalization of refineries and distribution assets privatized under previous governments, the incorporation of fertilizer and biodiesel subsidiaries into Petrobras, and a sovereign role for the state oil company in Brazil's just energy transition and in the exploration of the Marginal Equatorial and Pelotas basins.