BRASILIA, March 12 (Xinhua) -- The employees of Brazil's state-owned postal company, Correos, began a general strike on Monday for an undetermined period, protesting the changes to their health plan, their trade union Fentec announced.

According to the union, the company is seeking to remove the right for parents, children and spouses of postal workers to access the health plan. A lawsuit about this is currently being litigated at the Superior Labor Court.

The workers are also protesting a number of measures, including aims to privatize Correos, the suspension of holidays, and the reduction of salaries for administrative staff.

"To make the situation worse, the company has also announced the closure of over 2,500 agencies across Brazil," said the statement.

In its own statement, Correos said this move "only serves to aggravate further the delicate situation through which Correos is passing and affects not only the company, but its very employees."

According to the company, the health plan changes were discussed with their representatives and in mediation at the Court.

"The company awaits a conclusive decision by this court to take the necessary measures, but highlights that it already cannot sustain the plan's conditions, conceded to the rise of a monopoly, when Correos had the financial capacity to support these costs," it concluded.