Strict security as Colombian workers strike

Several hundred thousand public sector employees and transport workers in Colombia are staging a one-day strike to protest against the government's austerity measures.

It's the sixth national stoppage faced by President Andres Pastrana's administration.

A union leader, Juan Romero Ramos, told the BBC that the government had made many promises, but fulfilled none.

The interior minister, Humberto de la Calle Lombana, said most Colombians were tired of strikes and were working normally.

Strict security is in force, with army and police units manning checkpoints in the main cities to prevent any violence.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service