Brasilia, February 21 (RHC)-- In Brazil, oil workers suspended their strike Thursday after 19 days, while state oil company Petrobras promised to start a round of negotiations with the unions.

The decision was taken after a council of the Single Federation of Oil Tankers (FUP) meeting, but they warned that if negotiations with the state oil company do not meet the demands of the workers, the union will resume the strike again.

The FUP said that the decision to interrupt the strike also corresponds to the progress in Petrobras' management regarding the negotiations with the workers, however they expressed that “the fight does not stop, the struggle continues.”  They also said that the negotiations will take place under the intermediation of the Superior Labor Court (TST) and representatives of the Public Ministry of Labor.

The FUP called to defend Petrobras, since that means fighting for national sovereignty, labor rights defense for Brazilians, industrial and technological development as well as environmental security and energy sovereignty.

The strike against Petrobras executive board began on February 1st as a protest for the massive lay-offs that were carried out despite a collective convention reached between the workers and the head of the state-owned oil company.

Workers' union denounced the mass dismissal of at least one thousand workers, which Petrobras executive board denied by admitting the responsibility “only” for 400 affected employees.  The difference in figures is something that continues to be debated between the two sides.