Washington, 4 November 1996 (RFE/RL) -- The U.S. embassy in Moscow has been notified of a call for a nationwide strike on November 5 that could affect half the workforce in Russia.
A U.S. State Department spokeswoman told our correspondent that the call was issued by the Federation of Independent Unions of Russia because of grievances over late payment of wages.
The United States has been told that a number of organizations in Moscow and other regions outside the capital plan to hold demonstrations. It did not identify the other cities.
The State Department says it does not expect the demonstrations to lead to any kind of instability. But as a routine precaution it is advising U.S. citizens to exercise caution when visiting places where large crowds are likely to gather.
The spokeswoman said it is standard procedure for the State Department to alert Americans travelling abroad to events such as demonstrations, strikes, potential election violence or terrorist acts.