1.
GV & SV Workers marching through streets carrying banners and placards (3 shots)
0.18

2.
GV Demonstrators followed by police marching towards Ministry of Labour (3 shots)
0.42

3.
Ministry building SLANT DOWN TO Demonstrators chanting outside
0.50

4.
GV & SV Armed troops watching demonstrators
1.00

5.
GV Demonstrators outside Ministry building (3 shots)
1.17



Initials CL/1950 CL/2004



Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: Livestock breeders throughout Argentina are on strike. They are demanding improved trading conditions.

The strikes began on 24 October and by Tuesday (28 October) large crowds of breeders were marching through the capital, Buenos Aires, shouting their grievances. Hundreds of the strikers took part in a demonstration which ended in front of the capital's Labour Ministry.

The strikes, called by the Argentine Rural Confederation and the Argentine Agrarian Federation, will deprive the domestic and export markets of beef, mutton and pork supplies.

The strikes are demanding higher exchange rates for meat exports, a cut in taxes, an end to restrictions on the number of animals slaughtered daily and to be allowed to export live animals.

Livestock breeders staged a similar 10-day strike last month. But suppliers were not affected at the time because of large stocks of frozen and chilled meat.

To the Argentineans, the strikes means hardship. One political observer recently commented, "Steaks for Argentineans are like bread and potatoes for people from many other countries. For the Government to agree to a considerable meat price increase would be political suicide."
The English-language Buenos Aires Herald newspaper said in an editorial that one can buy two cows in Argentina for the price of an expensive pair of shoes.