Sao Paulo bus strike sparks transit chaos

Bus drivers in Sao Paulo went on strike Tuesday, surprising the sprawling Brazilian city by closing half its bus terminals and in some cases abandoning their vehicles in the middle of the street.

The strike is the latest to hit Brazil as it gears up to host the World Cup from June 12 to July 13 -- and hold presidential and congressional elections in October.

Local transport officials said 230,000 passengers in the country's business hub had been affected by early afternoon, a figure likely to increase in the evening rush hour.

Fifteen of the city's 28 bus terminals were closed, they said.

The striking drivers are rebelling against their union, which agreed to a 10-percent pay increase in negotiations with management, according to newspaper Folha de Sao Paulo.

"This was news to me, these holdouts who don't accept the terms of the deal," said a surprised mayor Fernando Haddad.

About 300 striking bus drivers and fare collectors marched to the mayor's office to demand a meeting with Haddad. Other drivers stopped their buses in the middle of the street and asked their passengers to get off, said newspaper O Estado de Sao Paulo.

Sao Paulo, a city of 11 million people, will host the opening match of the World Cup in 23 days. Its 15,000 buses are a key part of its transit system.
 

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