Federal Police chiefs to hold walkouts in push for better wages

A union of Federal Police chiefs voted on Tuesday to stage work stoppages in an attempt to put pressure on the government to offer them better wages. Labor representatives will come up with a timetable for “partial and escalating” walkouts. Although illegal, industrial action by police forces has become increasingly common in Brazil.

This morning, the police chiefs’ union called for the firing or resignation of Justice Minister Anderson Torres — who they accuse of treating the group “disrespectfully.” 

Federal Police agents have been disgruntled since President Jair Bolsonaro backpedaled on his promise to raise their salaries. The government wanted to prioritize law enforcement, but public servants from other career paths began to call for raises of their own. 

Lacking the funds to cater to them all, the Economy Ministry proposed a linear 5-percent raise for all federal workers — much lower than the salary hikes unions had asked for. Civil servants in revenue services have staged go-slow protests for months and Central Bank workers resumed their strike this week, which began on April 1.

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