Healthcare workers protest across Bolivia
- 12 years ago
Police fire tear gas into a crowd of healthcare workers in the Bolivan capital of La Paz,
The clashes errupted Friday during a protest against a government decision to extend working hours for public health workers.
The measures - which would lengthen shifts from six to eight hours - have sparked violent protests across the country and led to a planned hunger strike by 4,000 doctors.
Meanwhile, earlier in the day other healtcare workers marched down the roads heading in La Paz, blocking traffic.
Bolivian president Evo Morales appeared to bow to the pressure and announced he would suspended the law.
He said he would call a national summit on the state of healthcare in Bolivia, where public sector workers have long complained of low salaries and poor working conditions.
But some protesters said they would remain in the streets until the law was repealed, not just suspended.
Andrew Raven, Reuters
The clashes errupted Friday during a protest against a government decision to extend working hours for public health workers.
The measures - which would lengthen shifts from six to eight hours - have sparked violent protests across the country and led to a planned hunger strike by 4,000 doctors.
Meanwhile, earlier in the day other healtcare workers marched down the roads heading in La Paz, blocking traffic.
Bolivian president Evo Morales appeared to bow to the pressure and announced he would suspended the law.
He said he would call a national summit on the state of healthcare in Bolivia, where public sector workers have long complained of low salaries and poor working conditions.
But some protesters said they would remain in the streets until the law was repealed, not just suspended.
Andrew Raven, Reuters