A new study by the labour think-tank DIEESE, released on 22 April, registers 1,006 strikes across Brazil in 2025—up 14 % on the previous year—with the sharpest increases seen in private-sector transport, tourism and hospitality. Although the report is retrospective, its publication triggers immediate concern among mobility coordinators because many collective-bargaining agreements expire in May-June, raising the probability of fresh work stoppages in the coming weeks. Transport workers accounted for almost a quarter of all private-sector strikes, primarily over unpaid wages, meal allowances and unsafe scheduling. Airline-catering staff at São Paulo/Guarulhos walked out twice in November, disrupting international departures; inter-state bus drivers in the Northeast staged rolling 24-hour stoppages over fuel-cost pass-throughs; and airport ground handlers in Recife carried out a 48-hour ‘operation turtle’, slowing baggage delivery to a crawl. Paradoxically, the strike wave comes amid strong macro-economic data: unemployment fell to 5.6 % in 2025 and GDP grew 2.3 %. Economists say tighter labour markets embolden unions, and the tourism rebound means service-sector employers feel greater pressure to keep operations running—giving workers leverage. For businesses, the numbers are a prompt to revisit contingency plans. Mobility teams should bake extra lay-over time into domestic connections, monitor local media for industrial-action notices (which unions must file 72 hours in advance), and ensure that assignment contracts include per-diem flexibility in case of delays. Companies hosting regional conferences in Brazil over the southern-winter peak may also wish to negotiate force-majeure clauses with venues and DMCs. On the policy front, the Ministry of Labour has hinted at fast-tracking a mediation bill that would oblige essential-service unions to maintain a 70 % minimum service level—akin to EU standards. Until such safeguards exist, however, corporates should expect sporadic disruptions to remain a fact of life in Brazil’s otherwise resurgent travel ecosystem.
Source: CUT Brazil
