From: Colombian Labor Monitor <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Date: Wed, 16 May 2001 00:09:37 -0500 (CDT)
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Subject: CLM: Daily News 16 May 2001
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COLOMBIAN LABOR MONITOR
www.prairienet.org/clm
Wednesday, 16 May 2001
REUTERS -- Tuesday, 15 May 2001
Colombia teachers, doctors strike over IMF reform
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REUTERS
Tuesday, 15 May 2001
Colombia teachers, doctors
strike over IMF reform
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BOGOTA -- Teachers and public health workers across Colombia launched an
indefinite strike on Tuesday to protest a IMF-agreed cost-cutting reform
measure that would trim federal spending on states and municipalities.
Union leaders said 300,000 teachers and 90,000 health workers joined the
strike, timed to coincide with a slated Senate vote on the reform bill
later Tuesday.
Striking workers argue the measure would slash spending on social
services, like health and education.
"This is a patriotic strike to defend resources for health and education.
We are going to see if, for the first time, (President Andres) Pastrana
listens to the people and instead of answering to the IMF answers to
Colombians," Gloria Ines Ramirez, head of the Colombian Teachers
Federation, told Reuters.
Economists say Colombia's government needs the belt-tightening measure to
meet a 2001 fiscal deficit target of 2.8 percent of gross domestic
product, as agreed to under a $2.7 billion IMF bailout loan agreement
signed in 1999.
If the bill wins Senate approval, it will move to the lower chamber of
Congress for two more rounds of voting.
Copyright 2001 Reuters
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