URUGUAY
A declaration of a "state of siege” by the Uruguayan government October 7 failed to halt a projected 24-hour general strike. The workers went out solidly on a nationwide scale October 13, although they maintained essential services with skeleton crews. The strike was intended to give force to the demand for a general wage increase in the public services of 48%. If this sounds high, the workers are only trying to catch up with prices which rocketed 50% during the first nine months of this year.