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SV Minister of Finance speaking ZOOM OUT TO GV workers listening
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CU Workers asking minister question PAN TO Minister listening
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CU Minister replying
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GV PAN Meeting in progress
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CU Minister speaking
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CU and GV Meeting in progress (3 shots)
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GV Workers and minister applaud
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Initials AE/12.04 AE/12.15



Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: Ethiopian Minister of Finance -- Mr. Negash Desta -- has persuaded striking Finance Ministry employees to return to work, after personally appealing to them in Addis Ababa on Tuesday (April 16).

The return to work of Finance Ministry staff - including tax collectors and customs men -- is particularly vital since the loss of taxes had meant there was no money for government expenditure. Even now some observers have raised the raised the question of whether the government will have enough money to pay employees at the end of the month.

Mr. Desta addressed a group of about 1500 employees and gave a personal pledge to dismiss three top officials in accordance with their demands.

Other striking workers have been returning to work in Addis Ababa in response to urgent appeals from the Prime Minister, Mr. Makonnen. But the city's bushmen and railway workers are still on strike and other groups, such as telecommunications workers, have submitted a list of demands with an April 28 deadline for settlement.

Meanwhile the social unrest -- which brought down the government of Prime Minister Aklilou Wold -- continues. On Wednesday (April 17) six people were wounded when police opened fire on demonstrating rail-waymen and students in the eastern town of Diredawa.