Oil Workers Strike in Brazil

Thousands of oil industry workers went on strike today as labor unrest mounted after an army assault that left three strikers dead at South America’s largest steel plant.

A spokesman for the state-controlled Petrobras oil company said 70% to 80% of its 61,000 workers had walked off the job in a wage dispute. Talks were under way in Brasilia between management and 17 unions, but the spokesman said, “If there is no accord by the end of the afternoon, all the 11 refineries will stop.”