PETROLEUM: 900 oil employees dismissed in Venezuela
Venezuela's state oil company said it dismissed about 900 more employees, raising the total to more than 18,000 since an oil strike began four months ago.
Those let go worked in all of Petroleos de Venezuela's units, a spokesman said. The firings occur two weeks after Energy and Mines Minister Rafael Ramirez said that dismissals were slowing. Petroleos de Venezuela had 33,000 employees before the strike began Dec. 2.
Labor unions, business leaders and former oil executives organized the national work stoppage to pressure President Hugo Chavez to step down and hold elections.