Military Police Take Deal, Bringing Strike in Rio Grande do Norte to an End

01/10/2018 - 10h44

Both the military and civil police and firefighters in the state of Rio Grande do Norte decided to bring a 22-day strike to an end on Tuesday (the 9th).

In an afternoon meeting, governor Robinson Faria (PSD) accepted the terms put forward by union representatives and promised not to take any legal action or apply any sanctions whatsoever against officers who went on strike.

A share of Military Police officers has not been patrolling the streets since December 19th as a form of protesting against delays in salary payments - concerning the months of November (which were paid on January 6th), December, the 13th month salary - not to mention deteriorating work conditions.

The government promised to pay officers their December wages by Friday (the 12th), increase food vouchers from R$ 10 to R$ 20 (or approximately US$ 3 to US$ 6) and distribute 50 new squad cars among precincts.

"The government was reasonable. Officers can only commit to patrolling the streets if they are offered security. I saw officers who were desperate, officers who didn't have any money, or lacked basic working conditions. The movement led by these agents is a model for the country", said Elisandro Lotin, the president of the National Police Association.

The agents denied that they were ever on strike, stating that they couldn't patrol the streets without acceptable working conditions, given that squad cars were either damaged or lacked licenses and bulletproof vests had expired.

During an assembly that took place in the early afternoon, the Civil Police also accepted the terms offered by the government, and decided to resume its activities effective immediately.

Translated by THOMAS MATHEWSON

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	Bruno Santos/ Folhapress
	Both the military and civil police and firefighters in Rio Grande do Norte decided to bring a 22-day strike to an end on Tuesday (the 9th)