BRAZIL'S BANKWORKERS LAUNCH NATIONAL STRIKE
Most of Brazil's 700,000 bankworkers
began an indefinite national strike, union leaders said, as the
country's labour troubles showed no signs of easing.
    A national seamen's strike which began on February 27 is
still continuing, despite a partial return to work.
    A spokesman at the bankworkers' national strike
headquarters in Sao Paulo, Lucio Cesar Pires, told Reuters that
about 500,000 of Brazil's 700,000 bankworkers were on strike.
    He said that many private banks were working, particularly
in Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and Porto Alegre.
    The bankworkers, one of the best-organized sectors of
Brazil's labour force, are striking for a 100 pct pay rise.
    Pires said the strike had closed the state-controlled Banco
do Brasil, which has more than 3,000 branches.
    Brazil's current labour troubles stems from the collapse of
the government's price freeze and the return of high inflation.
    According to official figures, prices rose by 33 pct in
just the first two months of the year.
    Other strikes are being threatened, including national
stoppages by 450,000 social security workers and 50,000
university teachers.
    In central Sao Paulo dozens of armed military police stood
guard outside branches of the Banco do Brasil to preempt any
move by bankworkers to occupy the buildings.
    A bank official in one foreign bank, which was still open
this morning, said that with the closure of the Banco do Brasil
private banks would not be able to function much longer.
    He said: "If the Banco do Brasil closes it shuts down the
whole system. I think that after lunch we will have to stop."
    Groups of strikers marched in the central commercial
district, waving banners and stopping outside private banks to
chant slogans.
    Pires said the strike call had been largely ignored by
workers in the private banks, with many branches open
particularly in Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and Porto Alegre.
    Television reports said that in the southern state of
Parana farmers protesting against high interest rates supported
the bankworkers.
    As they have done many times over the past few weeks, they
blockaded the entrances of private banks with farm machinery.
 Reuter
