Brazil protests: Tens of thousands in union-led strikes

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Tens of thousands of workers across Brazil have joined a day of strikes called by the country's largest trade unions. Key ports and several motorways were blocked, many schools and banks stayed closed and crowds marched through Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo. The unions want improved working conditions and better public services. The crowds were smaller than in last month's protests, which brought more than a million people onto the streets. The June demonstrations were sparked by transport fare rises, but quickly encompassed other issues. Other grievances were over the costs of staging the World Cup, corruption and demands for better health, education and transport. Transport chaos The "National Day of Struggles" called by the unions hit at least 10 Brazilian states on Thursday. Activities at Brazil's busiest port, Santos, and in Itaguai, in the south, and Suape, in the north-east, were halted by the strikers early in the morning. In many cities, bus and metro workers' strikes brought public transport to a near standstill, among them Porto Alegre, Salvador and Belo Horizonte. In Brazil's largest city, Sao Paulo, an estimated 4,000-strong crowd again blocked the renowned Avenida Paulista. "We want things to improve in the country. We are marching because health and education are in crisis in Brazil. There must be a change," Rosely Paschetti, a Sao Paulo municipal employee, told AFP news agency. The unions demanded land and pension reforms, a shorter working week and better public services, among other issues. In Rio de Janeiro, protest organisers gathered at least 2,500 people in the central area of the city. Although the demonstration was largely peaceful, police used tear gas to disperse some groups of protesters. The nationwide demonstrations in June for better education, healthcare and transport prompted President Dilma Rousseff to present a package of investments and reforms in public services. Ms Rousseff also proposed a national referendum on political reform, but members of the Congress recently said it would be practically impossible to organise a public consultation on the issue before next year's elections.