Several cities across Brazil, all set to host matches during the tournament, saw police officers launch a 24-hour strike yesterday aimed at calling attention to poor conditions for the country's police and demanding pay to increase in line with inflation.

"This is a 24-hour strike which has been well supported," federal police union leader Andre Vax de Mello told Agence France-Presse.

"We have provided a minimum service for the public, notably at airports, but we are going to stop during the World Cup if the government doesn't provide a satisfactory response."

In Rio de Janeiro, set to host seven World Cup matches, including the final on July 13, police carried out a peaceful protest as Brazilian national football coach Luiz Felipe Scolari announced the 23-strong squad set to represent the hosts throughout the tournament.

Police in the capital of Brasilia surrounded their headquarters and prevented colleagues from entering the premises whilst officers in Fortaleza, Natal and Porto Alegre also participated in strike action.

A police protest during the World Cup could spell disaster for Brazil following months of anti-World Cup protests amongst the nation's residents ©AFP/Getty Images



A police walk-out during the World Cup could spell disaster for Brazil following months of anti-World Cup protests.

Residents of the country have repeatedly exposed their anger at the rising costs of the competition; costs that they feel would be better invested in health, education services, transportation, and housing for Brazilians.

Just last month, Brazilian national troops were called in to patrol the streets of Salvador de Bahia after a wave of looting and murder erupted amid a two-day police strike in the World Cup host city.

State officials claimed that 39 people were killed in and around the state capital, Salvador, during the walkout, a much higher figure than normal.

These strikes, as well as the most recent strikes, were caused over pay, with police in Brazil said to earn between 7,500 reais ($3,200/£2,000/€2,445) and 12,800 reais ($5,800/£3,400/€4,170) a month before tax and social security contributions.

Renato Deslandes, director of communications for the National Federation of Federal Police Officers, told the BBC that, "Federal agents are the only category of workers whose salary has been frozen in the last five years."

"We are not looking for a real salary increase, but a re-adjustment in accordance with inflation during those five years."

He added that police would "continue striking in the coming weeks and during the World Cup if the government doesn't raise pay in line with inflation."

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