Under the banner of “against hunger and inequality, for work and wages, in defense of life”, on June 17, thousands of Uruguayan workers observed a 24-hour national strike against the right-wing government of President Luis Lacalle Pou. The strike was called by the Uruguayan union center, the Inter-Union Plenary of Workers – National Convention of Workers (PIT-CNT), to demand measures to combat the economic and social crisis generated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Almost all sectors shut down economic activities except healthcare and transportation. The COVID-19 health centers and vaccination centers remained open and the transportation services to reach them also remained open. Throughout the day, several demonstrations were held across the country.
[Abridged from People's Dispatch.]