The strike, organized by the National Union of Workers in the Food, Beverage, Agriculture, Aquaculture, Fisheries, and Related Services Sectors (STIAC), took place this morning near the facilities of Sumol+Compal in Almeirim, with participation reaching approximately 50% during the night and morning shifts.
In a statement, Marcos Rebocho, a leader of the Food Industry Workers’ Union (STIAC), noted that the strike resulted in the approval and submission of a motion to the administration. The workers’ demands include salary increases, updated meal allowances, and negotiation of the collective labor contract.
“These demands were included in the claim document presented at the beginning of 2025, but there has been no progress from the administration,” said Marcos Rebocho, emphasizing the need to update the collective contract, which has been suspended since 2009.
“This document addresses fundamental issues such as subsidy increases, career progression, and the valuation of night work,” he added.
The workers also planned to schedule a meeting with the Ministry of Labor and the employers’ association for the water, juice, and soft drink sector to resume contract negotiations.
“The idea is for the employers’ association to begin negotiations. If we have an updated contract, it will be easier for workers to see improvements in their salaries and rights, particularly regarding shifts and night allowances,” the union leader added.
In addition to the motion, the workers have scheduled another strike for October 8 and a meeting on September 29, after the holiday period, to “mobilize a larger number of workers.”
Present at the demonstration, Vítor Martins, a Sumol+Compal worker and STIAC leader, stated that following the May strike, the company only implemented “symbolic adjustments,” such as paying for the night hour between 07:00 and 08:00 and a small increase in shift allowance, measures which, in his view, “do not solve the workers’ structural problems.”
Sumol+Compal is a major employer in the Almeirim region, and workers have been increasingly expressing discontent with regular strikes since 2023.
