(Bloomberg) — Brazil’s central bank delayed the release of a closely-watched economist survey for the second time as staff members protest to demand higher pay.
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Employees plan to strike Tuesday and Wednesday, escalating a months-long labor dispute with President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva’s government. As a result, the institution’s Focus survey, which incorporates estimates from over 100 analysts on data including inflation and the benchmark interest rate, will now be released on Thursday instead of Monday, its normal publication date.
The dispute at Brazil’s central bank has escalated over the past few weeks, also delaying other reports with data on foreign direct investment, domestic lending and fiscal accounts. Central bank staff were excluded from wage increases Lula’s administration granted to other civil servants, and launched an initial work stoppage in May demanding a 36% salary hike and other benefits.
Some employees warned of “increased risks” to the bank’s mission in a letter sent to the board on Monday. “It’s paramount that the board strengthens its actions,” over 40 central bank department heads wrote in the letter to which Bloomberg had access.
Department heads have expressed support for union demands at events with local media over the past few months. Previously, employees held a 24-hour work stoppage in January.
Central bank head Roberto Campos Neto has also shown backing for workers, posing for pictures with the union delegates in November and calling for a quick resolution to the conflict at a press conference in December.
The current protests at the central bank follow a fourth-month long strike in 2022 that also delayed publication of economic reports and ended with a commitment to revamp workers’ career paths.
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