- Title: URUGUAY: STRIKES AND BOYCOTTS FOLLOW PRICE RISES OF UP TO 140 PER CENT.
- Date: 8th January 1973
- Summary: 1. GV Montevideo street scene 0.03 2. CU Newspaper head-lines of price increases (2 shots) 0.10 3. SV & CU Fruit and vegetables (3 shots) 0.16 4. SV Greengrocer changing price from 500 K to 700 K 0.32 5. SV Greengrocer changes price of cabbages from 30K to 60K 0.38 6. GV People in streets (2 shots) 0.46 7. GV & SV Txi-cabs with slogans painted on them (2 shots) 1.00 8. SV & CU Shoppers at clothes store (2 shots) 1.05 9. SV Leather articles on display PAN to passers-by 1.12 10. SV ZOOM TO CU..toy-stand 1.20 Initials ES. 1400 ES. 1430 Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 23rd January 1973 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: MONTEVIDEO, URUGUAY
- Country: Uruguay
- Reuters ID: LVABDWXTDGXQWB5NNZ8H9QK486SH
- Story Text: Waves of strikes have spread in uruguay, and housewives have been boycotting some shops. The reason -- staggering price rises.
Sudden increases of up to 140 per cent were reported, Food generally shot up by about 50 per cent, and fuel prices nearly doubled overnight. The increases were imposed by a decree issued on January 2 by President Juan Bordaberry. The decree also ratified a 35 per cent pay increase for people in private industrial firms, and a similar rise for public employees is predicted.
But there have been many complaints that the pay rises are insufficient, and the leftwing National Workers' Confederation called a series of national strikes. uruguay recently devalued its currency for the ninth time since President Bordaberry took office last March.
SYNOPSIS: Uruguay has just seen some of the biggest price rises ever. Some prices more than doubled.
Food went up by an average fifty per cent. Shopkeepers were busy changing their prices. But they had little else to do. People were so shocked by the sudden price rises that many people boycotted the shops altogether.
The increases were imposed under a governmental decree. the decree also awarded simultaneous wage increase of thirty-five per cent to private employees, and a similar boost for public workers is expected to follow. But people say it's not enough. Taxi drivers are angry at the increase in fuel prices -- and used their vehicles as mobile notice-boards to protest at the government's policy.
The Uruguayan Peso has recently been devalued again. It's the ninth devaluation since President Juan Maria Bordaberry took office ten months ago. But the average Uruguayan shopper is more concerned with prices in the shops than financial technicalities. And the concern has been increasing to anger, with a wave of anti-inflation strikes.
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