Bank Workers Join Venezuela Strike

Broadcast: Jan 10,2003

 

Bank workers joined the 39 day old strike against Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez Thursday, ¹⁾tightening the stranglehold which has already come close to shutting down the country's vital oil industry.

For several weeks, Venezuelan banks have been working restricted hours as part of a general strike aimed at forcing Mr. Chavez to agree to an early election or ²⁾referendum on his presidency². Long lines outside banks, as well as at gas stations hit by the ³⁾stoppage in the oil industry, have become a common sight.

But Thursday the lines all but disappeared, as a large part of the banking³ system shut down on the first day of a 48 hour bank workers' strike. The bank unions claimed the strike was 80 percent effective, while the banking ⁴⁾superintendency said seven out of ten workers ignored the call. Independent reports suggested the unions' claim, though probably exaggerated, was closer to the truth, and the interbank payments system was virtually halted.

On Friday the bank workers plan to deliver a document to the delegation⁴ of the Organization of American States, the OAS, which has been seeking to broker⁵ an agreement between the Chavez government and the opposition⁶ Democratic Coordinator⁷ umbrella group. The document demands a rapid solution to the increasingly severe crisis.

Legislator Nicolas Maduro, of the ruling MVR party, said the banks would pay dearly for what he called their decision to use other people's money in a bid to bring down the government. He threatened them with a similar purge⁸ to that currently under way in the state oil corporation, Petroleos de Venezuela, where many striking managers have been sacked.

Opposition demonstrators, meanwhile, held rallies outside a number of office buildings across the country belonging to the oil corporation. In some places local media reported clashes between government and opposition supporters and in Caracas, there were reports of gunfire aimed at demonstrators, allegedly by ⁵⁾hooded government supporters. No one was reported shot, however.

For VOA news, Phil Gunson, Caracas.

1)    tighten¹ [5taitEn]v.变紧, 绷紧, 拉紧

2)    referendum on公开投票

3)    stoppage[5stCpidV]n. 中断, 填塞

4)    superintendency[9sjU:pErIn`tendEnsI]n. 监督者的地位

5)    hood⁹ [hud]v.用头巾包裹, 给...加罩, 覆盖

1 tighten   

v.(使)变紧；(使)绷紧

参考例句：

• Turn the screw to the right to tighten it.向右转动螺钉把它拧紧。
• Some countries tighten monetary policy to avoid inflation.一些国家实行紧缩银根的货币政策，以避免通货膨胀。

2 presidency   

n.总统(校长，总经理)的职位(任期)

参考例句：

• Roosevelt was elected four times to the presidency of the United States.罗斯福连续当选四届美国总统。
• Two candidates are emerging as contestants for the presidency.两位候选人最终成为总统职位竞争者。

3 banking   

n.银行业，银行学，金融业

参考例句：

• John is launching his son on a career in banking.约翰打算让儿子在银行界谋一个新职位。
• He possesses an extensive knowledge of banking.他具有广博的银行业务知识。

4 delegation   

n.代表团；派遣

参考例句：

• The statement of our delegation was singularly appropriate to the occasion.我们代表团的声明非常适合时宜。
• We shall inform you of the date of the delegation's arrival.我们将把代表团到达的日期通知你。

5 broker   

n.中间人，经纪人；v.作为中间人来安排

参考例句：

• He baited the broker by promises of higher commissions.他答应给更高的佣金来引诱那位经纪人。
• I'm a real estate broker.我是不动产经纪人。

6 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

7 coordinator   

n.协调人

参考例句：

• The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, headed by the Emergency Relief Coordinator, coordinates all UN emergency relief. 联合国人道主义事务协调厅在紧急救济协调员领导下，负责协调联合国的所有紧急救济工作。
• How am I supposed to find the client-relations coordinator? 我怎么才能找到客户关系协调员的办公室？

8 purge   

n.整肃，清除，泻药，净化；vt.净化，清除，摆脱；vi.清除，通便，腹泻，变得清洁

参考例句：

• The new president carried out a purge of disloyal army officers.新总统对不忠诚的军官进行了清洗。
• The mayoral candidate has promised to purge the police department.市长候选人答应清洗警察部门。

9 hood   

n.头巾，兜帽，覆盖；v.罩上，以头巾覆盖

参考例句：

• She is wearing a red cloak with a hood.她穿着一件红色带兜帽的披风。
• The car hood was dented in.汽车的发动机罩已凹了进去。