Rio, September 10, 2003 (Agência Brasil - ABr) - The coordinator of the Unified Federation of Petroleum Workers (FUP), Antônio Carrara, informed that 90% of Petrobras workers in operational areas throughout the country adhered to the 24-hour work stoppage. Despite the strike, essential services were maintained to assure production.

In the state of Rio de Janeiro, the stoppage affected the platforms in the Campos Basin, Transpetro, the Angra dos Reis terminal, and the Duque de Caxias refinery. In the administrative area, in the company's headquarters in the center of Rio, in the Tijuca office, in the Northern zone of the city, and in the Research Center, on the Fundão Island, employees delayed the start of activities by two hours.

The petroleum workers, who have been engaged in a salary campaign since the beginning of August, are demanding a 15.5% salary increase, plus 6.8% for productivity gains. According to the FUP, the company has not yet presented a counter proposal. (DAS)