Brasília - Brazil's IRS (Receita Federal) fiscal auditors have begun a 48-hour strike to protest the presidential temporary decree (medida provisoria) which created the so-called Super Revenue Service (which unites IRS (tax) and social security revenue). The fiscal auditor's main grievance is that their tasks and rights will no longer be separate from lower-level audit technicians who are mostly high school graduates. Fiscal auditors must have a university degree and in order to be hired they must take a competitive civil service exam.

Translator: Allen Bennett