Rio, March 24, 2004 (Agência Brasil) - The Union Force is promoting a demonstration today in the center of Rio de Janeiro as part of the National Day to Combat Unemployment. Besides an increase in the number of openings on the job market, union members are demanding that the work week be reduced to 40 hours.

According to the vice-president of the Rio de Janeiro Union of Commercial Workers, Oton Roma, around 35 thousand people lost their jobs last year in this sector alone in the municipality of Rio.

Translator: David Silberstein