BOLIVIA: LA PAZ: TEACHERS PROTEST DEMANDING BETTER PAY

Описание: (20 May 1997) Natural Sound

Thousands of teachers marched through Bolivia's capital La Paz on Monday demanding better pay.

Their protest is part of a strike called by the Bolivian Central Workers' union for better teacher pay conditions.

Roads through La Paz were closed off due to demonstrators who pulled down and burned political banners and set off dynamite.

Thousands of teachers descended on Bolivia's capital La Paz, on Monday, armed with stones and dynamite to protest their right to better pay conditions.

The angry demonstrators marched through the capital setting off dynamite, vandalising police property, and burning political banners.

Their protest comes just two weeks prior to Bolivia's general election.

Armed guards deployed around La Paz were warned against intervention, for fear the general public would riot.

The protest was part of a general strike called by the Bolivian Central Workers' union after teachers' demands for a pay rise were rejected.

Bolivia has an estimated 100-thousand people working in education.

The protestors want an increase in their monthly salary - currently 600 bolivianos or 114 U-S dollars.

Their demand is for 35-hundred bolivianos or 670 U-S dollars.

The demonstrations on Monday were mainly peaceful although 20 teachers were arrested for breach of the peace.

The protest will continue as a strike until an agreement is reached.

Leaders of the Bolivian Central Workers' union are taking part.

Several have gone on hunger strike.

Bolivia has witnessed a series of protests in recent weeks among public sector workers who have shown increasing dissatisfaction with the present administration led by President Gonzalo Sanchez de Lozada.

Bolivia's general election is scheduled for early June.

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