Friday, 7 September, 2001, 22:52 GMT 23:52 UK

Public sector workers strike in Argentina

Hundreds of public sector workers in Argentina are again holding a 24-hour strike and marching to the presidential palace in Buenos Aires.

They're protesting against government plans to cut salaries and state pensions by 13% to help solve Argentina's economic crisis.

Workers have taken to the streets ever since the austerity measures were announced by President Fernando de la Rua in July.

Meanwhile a senior International Monetary Fund official Tom Dawson says the IMF believes Argentina will need more than the $3 billion loan already offered for a full-scale repackaging of its debt burden of more than $120 billion.

He said other institutions including governments and the private sector could help fund the package.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service

http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/world/americas/newsid_1531000/1531320.stm

-- Martin Thompson (mthom1927@aol.com), September 08, 2001