1997, may 20 - northern potosi teachers boost general strike call
urban and rural teachers of northern potosi heeded the call for a general strike made by the bolivian labor federation (cob). they asked the government to immediately meet cob demands. students had not attended school since the previous week when about 1,600 teachers started their protest activities. they also threatened to intervene in the district education directorates and organize mobilizations throughout the entire northern area of potosi department. workers of the national health fund (caja nacional de salud) in uncia district also announced that they will support the national general strike. they will install the first picket line with five leaders in uncia, while other workers in northern potosi announced the establishment of the first picket line and of a regional strike committee.
meanwhile, the 24-hour national strike called by the general confederation of manufacturing workers (confederacion general de trabajadores fabriles) was heeded in la paz by 80 percent of the affiliates of the departmental federation. the success of the pressure they exercised the day before was attributed to the discipline within and loyalty to the cob workers in the northern potosi region.
an article on this strike was also published in the industrial worker, a publication of the industrial workers of the world.
the world : south america : bolivia