Practice English with NewsPractice with News
Business117 words1 min read

Bank Workers Reject Lower Pay Offer, Talks Continue

a bank sign lit up in the dark
Photo by POURIA 🦋 on Unsplash
0:00 / 0:00

Listen to the story

Bank workers in Brazil are in a pay dispute. This group is called the National Command. It speaks for bank workers.

The bank workers said no to a new offer. The offer from banks was lower than before. Banks did this through a group called Fenaban. Fenaban speaks for the banks.

The workers want a real pay rise. This means more money after prices go up. They say a small rise is not enough.

Now, there is an 11th round of talks. This is a new negotiation. Workers and banks will talk again.

The banks have not given a clear number yet. They left the pay index open. This means talks will go on.

Vocabulary15 words

National Command
a group that speaks for bank workers
Fenaban
a group that speaks for banks
negotiation
when people talk to agree on something
index
a number used to show how much pay goes up
real pay rise
more money that is worth more, not just a bigger number
round
one part of many talks
propose
to offer an idea
reject
to say no
employer
a company that pays workers
worker
a person who has a job
offer
something given, like a plan or money
dispute
a disagreement
campaign
actions to get a change
pay
money for work
talks
when people speak to solve a problem

Quiz

1. Who rejected the banks' new offer?
2. What do the bank workers want?
3. What round of talks has now started?

Fill-in-the-blank listening

Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.

Bank workers in Brazil are in a pay _____. This group is called the _____. It speaks for bank workers.

The bank workers said no to a new _____. The offer from banks was lower than before. Banks did this through a group called _____.

The workers want a _____ pay rise. This means more money after prices go up.

Now, there is an _____ round of talks. This is a new _____.

The banks have not given a clear number yet. They left the pay _____ open.

More Business stories