The branch lights stay on, but the doors do not open. Since Thursday, September 10, news photos have shown shut Caixa branches with strike banners in states from Paraíba, in the northeast, to Rondônia, in the Amazon region. On Wednesday (16), the seventh day of the walkout, the two sides sit down at the same table again: the bank and the unions representing its employees return to negotiations over the collective bargaining agreement, with no date set for the strike to end.
The meeting only made it onto the calendar after formal pressure. Contraf-CUT, the national confederation of finance workers, sent the bank a letter demanding a return to talks, and the agenda is the renewal of the collective agreement of Caixa Econômica Federal, the state-owned bank that manages the FGTS severance fund and runs lottery agents across the country. The strike began after workers rejected the bank's previous offer: according to Contraf-CUT, more than 90% of union members voted the text down.
The fight over the health plan
The hardest issue is Saúde Caixa, the bank employees' health plan. Workers reject changes to how the plan is funded that, in their reading, could raise costs for active employees, retirees and dependents. The unions want the bank to shoulder a larger share of the financing and want existing rights preserved. The broader agenda also includes a wage raise above inflation, new hires, better working conditions and career progression.
Neiva Ribeiro, president of the São Paulo bank workers' union and coordinator of the national workers' command, said the new round is the result of the pressure from the rank and file:
"What will solve the campaign is dialogue. Caixa needs to listen to the workers and present a negotiated way out of the impasse."
On Tuesday (15), the national command met at 5 p.m. to assess the movement, along with a separate meeting of the strike command, and the union is expected to release a balance of the walkout after the gatherings. Fenae, the federation of Caixa employees' associations, also met with the entities to define strategy and reported that the strike reached its sixth day with protests in several states. Union regional offices open from 7 a.m. to advise workers and provide legal support, and the movement continues on Wednesday, the same day as the new round.
The bank's account
In a statement to g1, Caixa said it reopened the table because it believes dialogue is the best path to an agreement, and that it is looking for a solution that protects the interests of employees, the institution, clients and society. According to the bank, there have been 54 rounds of collective bargaining in this campaign, with four separate offers presented. During the strike, clients are being directed to digital channels such as the Caixa app and Caixa Tem, along with lottery agents and banking correspondents.
Outside the branch, the lights are still on and the door is still locked. As of Wednesday, when that door opens again is a question left to the negotiating table.