Metro workers in Brazil’s biggest city Sao Paulo have suspended a strike that has caused widespread disruption just days before the opening game of the FIFA World Cup in the city’s main stadium.
However, the workers are threatening to resume their strike on Thursday, the day of the first match between host nation Brazil and Croatia, unless their demands for a pay rise are met.
They are also demanding that staff threatened with dismissal are reinstated.
There are concerns that any further industrial action will cause chaos for fans trying to reach the football stadium, which is on the outskirts of the city.
Yesterday police used tear gas to dispel a crowd of 300 demonstrators who had responded to a call for a protest by the metro workers.
Brazilian president Dilma Rousseff said she wouldn’t allow violent demonstrations to mar the World Cup.
Meanwhile, a worker building a monorail in the city died and at least two others were injured after a section of the project collapsed.
The 17.7km monorail was originally meant to be completed for the start of the World Cup on Thursday, but it is behind schedule
In a separate incident, a worker was killed after being electrocuted at a World Cup stadium in the western city of Cuiaba where he was installing communications equipment.
It is the first fatality at the Cuiaba stadium, but eight workers have now died in accidents during the building of Brazil’s 12 World Cup arenas.
