Brazilian public healthcare workers in the state of São Paulo approve strike

On Friday, 27 June, workers from the Brazilian public health system (SUS) held an assembly at the offices of the Health Secretary of São Paulo State and unanimously approved a strike to begin on 16 July 2025. The workers are members of SindSaúde-SP (Union of Public Healthcare Workers in the State of São Paulo), affiliated to UNI Americas.

During the assembly, Gervásio Foganholi, president of SindSaúde-SP, expressed the frustrations of workers who have been waiting for months for a response from the state government to their proposal for annual contract negotiations. He also highlighted the devastating impact that the privatisation of the state health system is having on the workers who run it, patients, and the general public. “It is unacceptable that the richest state in the country leaves some healthcare workers without any wage increase, pays only 12 reais per working day in meal benefits, and continues to privatise the entire public health system,” he said.

After approving the strike, hundreds of workers marched to Avenida Paulista — the city of São Paulo’s most prominent street — disrupting traffic and receiving support from several unions and union federations. SindSaúde-SP is now mobilising for the strike, which will involve workers from dozens of public health units across Brazil’s largest state.

“UNI Americas stands in solidarity with our comrades from SindSaúde-SP, who are on the front lines resisting Governor Tarcísio’s attacks on the SUS in São Paulo. We will not allow a public system on which millions of people rely to be dismantled, nor will we stand by and let the state government trample the rights of those people whose hard work makes the system function,” said Lucía Lindner, Regional Director of UNI Americas.