MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Sao Paulo metro workers declare an indefinite strike stranding 4.5m commuters

“None of the lines will be operating and stations will remain closed”, said the spokesperson for the 9.700 metro workers union

Sao Paulo metro workers voted Wednesday evening an indefinite strike beginning Thursday following the collapse of salary negotiations.

 The decision will affect 4.5 million daily commuters in Brazil's financial and industrial hub. Sao Paulo is scheduled to host next week the opening match of the World Cup at the Itaquerao stadium.

The union which is demanding a 16.5% increase said they will not return to work until they have a minimum 10% increase offer on the table. Negotiations fell through following an 8.7% proposal.

“None of the lines will be operating and stations will remain closed”, said the spokesperson for the 9.700 metro workers union, Prazeres Junior. “How come they have funds for Itaquerao and the Cup and no money for public transport”.

According to one of the reporters from O Estado de Sao Paulo present at the assembly that decided the strike vote, Prazeres Junior promised “a historic strike” if no salary agreement is reached.

The announcement from metro workers coincided with a protest from retired military police and their families who arrived in buses to the centre of Sao Paulo, demanding better pensions. The buses caused huge bottlenecks in the 20 million metropolis at rush hour Wednesday evening.

They were to be joined later by another 4.000 protestors from the Movement of Homeless Workers who were marching to the Itaquerao World Cup stadium demanding housing for their families.

The group has been protesting since early May when they illegally occupied a plot of land and camped with tents. The camp has been ironically baptized “The People's Cup”.