VOA常速英语2008年-Guinea Avoids New National Strike

By Nancy Palus
Dakar
31 March 2008

Union leaders in Guinea urged workers not to go on strike Monday, the day unions had set as a deadline for resolving disputes that sparked protests early this year. But while a strike has been averted¹ for now, rights groups say Guinea has a long way to go to ease rising socio-economic and political tensions. Nancy Palus reports from VOA's regional bureau in Dakar.

Residents of the Guinean capital, Conakry, told VOA people seemed to be going about their work as normal.

Union leader Louis M'Bemba Soumah says a civil society coalition² - set up in January after unions agreed to suspend a strike call pending³ talks - encouraged people to go to work as usual on Monday. He says a sort of panic had set in surrounding the date of March 31, but that union leaders wanted to tell people that the date should not trigger a national strike. It was simply put forth⁴ as a target date for the national committee to finalize⁵ its work.

Human rights groups say Guinea is still reeling from a national strike in early 2007 that led to demonstrations⁶ and a crackdown by security forces in which hundreds of people were killed. The nation returned to calm only after the naming of a consensus⁷ prime minister and a power-sharing deal to address some of the protesters' grievances⁸.

Following protests earlier this year over moves by long-time President Lansana Conte seen as violating that deal, including his firing of a minister, unions called for a strike but agreed to suspend the call until March 31 pending talks.

Union leader Soumah says a number of issues have yet to be resolved and a call for fresh national strikes has not been ruled out. He says the committee will soon present a report and recommendations for reforms to President Conte. At that point, he says, if unions see that the authorities fail to answer their grievances then union leaders will decide whether to call for a strike.

Guinea has vast natural resources, including one of the world's largest reserves of bauxite⁹, which is used to produce aluminum¹⁰. But the country's infrastructure¹¹ is poor and most of the people struggle to feed their families and do not have regular access to water and electricity.

Mr. Conte, whose health has deteriorated¹² in recent years, has ruled since a military coup¹³ in 1984.

Mamadi Kaba is head of the Guinean office of the African human rights coalition known as RADDHO. He says the people want better living conditions and are ready to strike again if need be. He says people are "dismayed" at the lack of reform since last year's accords. Kaba says people appear ready to take to the streets at any moment because they desperately¹⁴ want change.

As in other countries in West Africa and around the world, in Guinea the prices of fuel and staple¹⁵ foods are climbing, adding to social tensions.

1 averted   

防止，避免( avert的过去式和过去分词 )； 转移

参考例句：

• A disaster was narrowly averted. 及时防止了一场灾难。
• Thanks to her skilful handling of the affair, the problem was averted. 多亏她对事情处理得巧妙，才避免了麻烦。

2 coalition   

n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合

参考例句：

• The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
• Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。

3 pending   

prep.直到，等待…期间；adj.待定的；迫近的

参考例句：

• The lawsuit is still pending in the state court.这案子仍在州法庭等待定夺。
• He knew my examination was pending.他知道我就要考试了。

4 forth   

adv.向前；向外，往外

参考例句：

• The wind moved the trees gently back and forth.风吹得树轻轻地来回摇晃。
• He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。

5 finalize   

v.落实，定下来

参考例句：

• Let us finalize tonight.让我们今天晚上干完
• 。At the same time,industrial designers work with engineers to finalize components and assembly.同时，工业设计师和工程师一道来完成部件和组装部分的工作。

6 demonstrations   

证明( demonstration的名词复数 )； 表明； 表达； 游行示威

参考例句：

• Lectures will be interspersed with practical demonstrations. 讲课中将不时插入实际示范。
• The new military government has banned strikes and demonstrations. 新的军人政府禁止罢工和示威活动。

7 consensus   

n.(意见等的)一致，一致同意，共识

参考例句：

• Can we reach a consensus on this issue?我们能在这个问题上取得一致意见吗？
• What is the consensus of opinion at the afternoon meeting?下午会议上一致的意见是什么？

8 grievances   

n.委屈( grievance的名词复数 )；苦衷；不满；牢骚

参考例句：

• The trade union leader spoke about the grievances of the workers. 工会领袖述说工人们的苦情。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• He gave air to his grievances. 他申诉了他的冤情。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 bauxite   

n.铝土矿

参考例句：

• Aluminum is made from bauxite.铝是从铝土矿中提炼出的。
• The United States was vulnerable to shortages of chrome,bauxite,and platinum.美国的弱点是缺少铬、矾土和铂。

10 aluminum   

n.(aluminium)铝

参考例句：

• The aluminum sheets cannot be too much thicker than 0.04 inches.铝板厚度不能超过0.04英寸。
• During the launch phase,it would ride in a protective aluminum shell.在发射阶段，它盛在一只保护的铝壳里。

11 infrastructure   

n.下部构造，下部组织，基础结构，基础设施

参考例句：

• We should step up the development of infrastructure for research.加强科学基础设施建设。
• We should strengthen cultural infrastructure and boost various types of popular culture.加强文化基础设施建设，发展各类群众文化。

12 deteriorated   

恶化，变坏( deteriorate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Her health deteriorated rapidly, and she died shortly afterwards. 她的健康状况急剧恶化，不久便去世了。
• His condition steadily deteriorated. 他的病情恶化，日甚一日。

13 coup   

n.政变；突然而成功的行动

参考例句：

• The monarch was ousted by a military coup.那君主被军事政变者废黜了。
• That government was overthrown in a military coup three years ago.那个政府在3年前的军事政变中被推翻。

14 desperately   

adv.极度渴望地，绝望地，孤注一掷地

参考例句：

• He was desperately seeking a way to see her again.他正拼命想办法再见她一面。
• He longed desperately to be back at home.他非常渴望回家。

15 staple   

n.主要产物，常用品，主要要素，原料，订书钉，钩环；adj.主要的，重要的；vt.分类

参考例句：

• Tea is the staple crop here.本地产品以茶叶为大宗。
• Potatoes are the staple of their diet.土豆是他们的主要食品。