Not surprisingly, this is where the union's headquarters is based. That body is also the human resources agency, which will assume responsibility for the appointment of casual port workers. Port workers went on the rampage, set up barricades downtown, and they say there will more to come if the government persists in confronting the union. The authorities have bowed to the pressure and signaled a truce. But negotiations are designed to find a way to break the impasse and implement changes by March 1999.
Longshoremen are in no mood for compromise.
This place is going to be on fire on Feb. 28. Next year will be the year of the revolution. If they pull out the 'master' from here, it's going to be bad. Renato, also wearing the union's orange dungarees, has spent more than half of his life working at the port. Labor has been underscored as the key issue by port operators to reduce costs that hamper Brazil's competitiveness in international trade.