On May 1st, the Bolivian government declared that the wage increase in the public and in the private sector amounted to 5% in 2010 and 3% for the military and the police, and there is no possibility to bargain with the social partners. At once, the Bolivian Workers’ Center (Central Obrera Boliviana, COB) announced a general 24-hour strike for Tuesday, may 4, the first of this kind in four and a half years of Morales administration. The movement was led by manufacturing industry workers asking for a 12-25% wage increase and a new pension system. Several managers have also been on a hunger strike since last week. In this sector, they’re complaining from the fact that a 5% increase hardly equals a $5 monthly increase since manufacturing workers earn $100 a month in average. Oil and food workers as well as miners also joined the protest that lasted all week with picket lines in front of factories, demonstrations in the country’s key cities and road blocks. The public sector, particularly health care, education workers and the police, also demonstrated on May 4, sometimes joining manufacturing workers’ hunger strike.
uring workers earn $100 a month in average. Oil and food workers as well as miners also joined the protest that lasted all week with picket lines in front of factories, demonstrations in the country’s key cities and road blocks. The public sector, particularly health care, education workers and the police, also demonstrated on May 4, sometimes joining manufacturing workers’ hunger strike.
Divided COB. Despite all this, the general strike only gained partial following across the country, since th
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