Workers vote to extend strike at Brazil car plants
SAO PAULO, Sept 4 (Reuters) - Workers at automobile plants in southern Brazil owned by Volkswagen AG (VOWG.DE), Renault SA (RENA.PA) and Nissan Motor Co Ltd (7201.T) voted on Thursday to extend a strike now in its fourth day to push for a wage increase, the local metalworkers union said.
About 9,000 workers have adhered to the walkout in Parana state, causing an overall production loss at the three factories of about 6,600 vehicles, according to the Greater Curitiba Metalworkers' Union.
The automakers, which were scheduled to meet with union leaders on Thursday, declined to comment on the strike. But the head of the national automakers' association said the manufacturers were "absolutely open" to dialogue.
"I'm confident we're going to reach an agreement, but one that doesn't compromise the competitiveness of the industry," said Jackson Schneider, president of Anfavea, as the automakers' association is known.
The metalworkers in Parana are demanding a 13 percent wage increase and a one-time bonus of 1,500 reais ($877) to compensate for inflation. So far, the automakers have offered a 10 percent salary increase plus the bonus.
Metalworkers in the so-called ABC industrial hub of Sao Paulo, where Volkswagen and Ford Motor Co (F.N) have factories, are also threatening to strike to demand a raise. On Thursday, workers voted not to work extra shifts on weekends for the duration of the wage negotiations.
The influential ABC Metalworkers' Union, which was once led by President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, said the workers were demanding a raise of "at least two digits." The automakers have offered an increase of 1.25 percent plus inflation, which is running above 6 percent.
On Wednesday, workers at General Motors Corp GM.N, Honda Motor Co Ltd (7267.T), Toyota Motor Corp (7203.T) and Daimler AG's (DAIGn.DE) Mercedes-Benz plants in the interior of Sao Paulo state held a 24-hour strike to demand an 18.83 percent salary increase.
"No one likes to strike, but we deserve a bigger piece of the pie in this exceptional moment for the auto industry," said Sergio Nobre, president of the ABC Metalworkers' Union.
Brazil's auto industry has boomed over the last few years, racking up record profits on the back of an economic revival that has pushed down unemployment and driven up real wages. The industry has also benefited from a credit boom that has allowed millions of Brazilians to buy cars for the first time.
But the push for wage increases comes just as the auto market in Brazil is showing signs of slowing down. Data released on Thursday showed that car and truck sales slumped 15.1 percent in August from the previous month, suggesting that a recent increase in interest rates is starting to crimp consumer demand. (Reporting by Alberto Alerigi Jr. and Todd Benson, editing by Gerald E. McCormick)
