Brazil oil workers take strike national, plan more

SAO PAULO, July 17 (Reuters) - Brazilian oil workers on Thursday expanded a strike that was limited to platforms in the Campos Basin to all production and refining units of state-run energy company Petrobras (PETR4.SA)(PBR.N).

Petrobras said on Thursday output at its platforms, refineries and distribution units was not affected by the strike. But the unions will vote next week on a proposal to stop production in a nationwide strike planned for Aug. 5.

The national umbrella union for oil workers known as FUP said the two-day strike that began at midnight on Wednesday would not stop production, but could cause disruptions to shift changes at refineries and other installations.

The FUP union officials, who want better profit-sharing terms from Petrobras at a time of record international oil prices, could not be reached for immediate comment.

The nationwide strike comes on the tail end of a smaller five-day strike that began at midnight on Sunday, organized by the Norte Fluminense Oil Workers Union. That strike briefly affected production on nearly all production rigs in the Campos Basin, which accounts for 85 percent of Petrobras' oil output.

"Petrobras has not advanced its offer about our main demand that departure days from platforms be counted as work days nor has it made an offer about profit sharing," Jose Maria Rangel, coordinator of the Norte Fluminense Oil Workers Union, told Reuters. "We will complete the strike and meet next week to set a nationwide strike with FUP."

The Norte Fluminense Union and Petrobras sat down to discuss terms on Wednesday, but the talks ended in a stalemate.

Rangel said his union would meet soon to vote on whether to accept a limited offer by Petrobras that would help guarantee workers the 11 hours of rest the workers say they are entitled to in between 12-hour shifts on the platforms.

The union began dampening production in the Campos Basin at midnight on Sunday, reducing Petrobras daily output by 300,000 to 400,000 barrels initially.