Mundo Sindical / A Worker's World

• That department is the economic engine of the country and is on indefinite strike due to the controversy surrounding the census. The MAS strategy could generate violent clashes and the action of the military.
• Bolivia suspended the export of beef, sugar and soybeans after agrarian protests in Santa Cruz.

 Santa Cruz, Nov. 1.– The department of Santa Cruz, the largest region and economic engine in Bolivia, completed this Tuesday 11 days of indefinite strike due to the controversy surrounding the coming census in 2023, and overwhelmed by the accumulation of garbage and fuel shortages, amid the siege imposed by official sectors that reject the strike.

The strike promoted by the civic sectors and the "siege" promoted by groups that defend the government of President Luis Arce have Santa Cruz in a critical situation in spite of new requests for dialogue.

This case before the European Court of Human Rights concerns an association, Communaute genevoise d’action syndicale (CGAS), which complains of being deprived of the right to organise and participate in public events following the adoption of government measures to tackle COVID-19 under Ordinance O.2 COVID-19, enacted by the Federal Council on 13 March 2020. On the basis of that ordinance, public and private events were prohibited with effect from 16 March 2020. Failure to comply with the prohibition was punishable by a custodial sentence or a fine.

As of 30 May 2020, the ban on gatherings was relaxed (maximum of 30 participants). Events involving more than 1,000 participants continued to be prohibited until the end of August 2020. On 20 June 2020 the ban on public events was lifted, although participants were required to wear masks.

The application was lodged with the European Court of Human Rights on 26 May 2020.

The application association relies on Article 11 (freedom of assembly and association) of the European Convention on Human Rights.

In its judgment of 15 March 2022, the Court held, by four votes to three, that there had been a violation of Article 11 of the European Convention.

On 5 September 2022 the case was referred to the Grand Chamber at the Swiss Government’s request and the referral was accepted.

 Filadelfia, Jun.16.– El déficit presupuestario más grande de la historia de Estados Unidos sucedió en 2020 como consecuencia de la parálisis casi total de la economía debido al estallido de la pandemia y a las medidas de cierre preventivo de muchísimas empresas. Aunque bajó en 2021 fue el segundo déficit más alto de la historia como resultado del derroche de "estímulos" concedidos a prácticamente toda la población de EEUU.

El Presidente Biden alardeó este martes en la reunión sindicalista de la AFL/CIO de una política que, según él, estaba reduciendo considerablemente el déficit presupuestario en 2022. Lo cierto es que según cifras de su propio gobierno el déficit será de $1.15 trillion este año. Es cierto que será más bajo que en los años catastróficos de 2020 y 2021, pero su afirmación triunfalista es una verdad a medias que tergiversa la realidad. Debió reconocer que el déficit de este año será mucho más alto que los déficits presupuestarios de 2015-2019.

London, June 14 (Reuters).– A British union warned on Tuesday the country could face a "summer of discontent" across its railways as thousands more workers are balloted for strike action in an escalating dispute over pay and conditions.

The Transport Salaried Staffs' Association (TSSA) said on Tuesday it had issued a notice of a ballot to more than 6,000 staff at Network Rail, the owner and infrastructure manager of most of the rail network in Britain.