- Title: URUGUAY: COUNTRY PARALYSED BY GENERAL STRIKE CALLING FOR ALL-ROUND 40% PAY RISES
- Date: 23rd March 1972
- Summary: 1. GV Independence Square and Government House in B/G 0.03 2. SV Taxis in main street. 0.08 3. SV Angenscheidt Department store 0.14 4. SV People boarding buses (4 shots) 0.24 5. SV Bus pulling away 0.29 6. SV People coming out of office and man closing door. 0.35 7. SV Woman handing out leaflets to passing cars. 0.43 8. SV Gas workers with banner. 0.46 9. SV People sitting on pavement reading leaflets. 0.56 10. CU Headlines calling for strike 1.00 11. SV Group of men on street corner (2 shots) 1.02 12. SV Marchers with banners along route and assembling in square (3 shots) 1.28 Initials VS/2.39 VS/3.09 Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 7th April 1972 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: MONTEVIDEO
- Country: Uruguay
- Reuters ID: LVA6XOKLSV7Z07ALY8JBUCKX1HHV
- Story Text: The small South American country of Uruguay was paralysed on Wednesday (March 22) by a nine-hour general strike called by the leftwing -dominated National Workers' Confederation (CNT), demanding a 40% all-round wage rise.
The strike, the second since righting President Juan Maria Bordaberry took office on March 1st, is only one of the many moves that have taken place since Congress decided to repeal many of the country's tough emergency laws, including a ban on political strikes. The laws had been imposed by Sr. Bordaberry's predecessor, Sr. Pacheco Areco who, like the new President, is a hardline anti-Communist vowed to stamp out the Tupamaros - the leftwing urban guerrillas who have brought the country to the brink of chaos with kidnaps, robberies and murders.
President Bordaberry wanted to maintain the emergency laws - but Congress lifted them against his wishes, and the Legislature is now considering a substitute package of measures.
SYNOPSIS: Montevideo - the capital of Uruguay - like the rest of the country, paralysed by a nine-hour general strike on Wednesday. At three p.m. shops and offices closed their doors - and, those who could, found places in the few buses still running.
The strike was called by the leftwing-dominated National Workers' Confederation demanding a forty percent all-round pay rise. With the general economy of the country in very poor shape, it is hardly likely that the Government will even be able to meet the twenty-percent that, some sources say, they may counteroffer.
This is the second massive strike since righting President Bordaberry took office on March first. His predecessor - Senor Pacheco Areco - had instituted emergency laws including a ban on political strikes. But Congress, against President Bordaberry's wishes, repealed the laws earlier this month. Now the Legislature is faced with having to find possible substitute measures. Both the last and the present Presidents are hardline anti-Communists, vowed to stamp out the Tupamaros - the urban guerrillas who have brought the country to the brink of chaos with kidnaps, robberies, murders and political agitation.
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