The Federation of Industries of the State of São Paulo (Fiesp), representing Embraer in negotiations, explained in a statement that it proposed a salary adjustment based on inflation at 5.05%, while workers at the factory are demanding 11%.
According to the Metalworkers’ Union of São José dos Campos, “the refusal” of Embraer to “implement a real salary increase” has led to the strike of 6,000 production workers at the São José dos Campos facility, a crucial industrial and technological hub in the state of São Paulo.
The strike aims to make public the workers’ “dissatisfaction” with Embraer’s policies, stated union leader Herbert Claros.
“The factory is breaking records in profitability, revenue, and order book. Now is the time to share these results with those who work in production,” the union’s statement read.
Embraer stated in a note sent to the Spanish agency Efe that the factories continue to operate “normally” across the country and considered the action taken by São José dos Campos workers “strange,” as salary negotiations are still ongoing.
The company further detailed that the proposal presented the day before includes a salary adjustment of 5.5%.
The union recalled that the company’s president, Francisco Gomes Neto, declared publicly that the company’s shares have appreciated by 350% over the last six years.
Embraer, a manufacturer and global leader of commercial aircraft up to 150 seats, has more than 100 customers worldwide and maintains industrial units, offices, service centers, and parts distribution facilities, among other activities, in the Americas, Africa, Asia, and Europe.
In Portugal, Embraer is the majority shareholder of OGMA – Indústria Aeronáutica de Portugal in Alverca, holding 65% of the capital.
