The World - News from Aug. 21, 1987

For the second time in eight months, a nationwide general strike to protest government economic policy failed to rally much support among Brazilian workers. Although some teachers, bank workers, state employees, doctors and bus drivers in parts of the country stayed home, their colleagues in other regions reported for work, and government officials said the situation was one of “almost complete normalcy.” The refusal of the 300,000-member Sao Paulo metallurgical workers union to take part prompted other labor groups to rethink their participation in a work stoppage that organizers had promised would rally 11 million workers nationwide, observers said.