General Strike

Palestinians staged a general strike across the Israeli-occupied territories Thursday to protest mass arrests of Arabs. In clashes with Israeli soldiers, two Arabs were shot to death and four wounded. The strike, ordered by the underground leadership of Palestinian militants, which is allied with the Palestine Liberation Organization, was called in support of 4,800 Palestinians detained by Israeli troops since an Arab uprising began in the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip last December.

The government and the black opposition appeared headed for a major confrontation after the collapse of efforts to avert a general strike and resume talks on a new constitution. The African National Congress and trade union allies said they will go ahead with an Aug. 3-4 general strike as part of a campaign to force President Frederik W. de Klerk to agree to an interim government by year's end.

Thousands of Haitians gathered in front of the government palace Tuesday and cheered when demonstrators called for the fall of the military-led junta. It was the first mass demonstration in the capital since an on-and-off general strike against the government began June 29. "Down with the CNG!" hundreds of demonstrators chanted, referring to the National Government Council, which is headed by Lt. Gen. Henri Namphy.

Argentina was paralyzed Friday by a general strike protesting President Raul Alfonsin's economic austerity policies. The Peronist-controlled unions that called the walkout said it was an overwhelming success, more than 90% effective nationwide. "It is a plebiscite demanding a change of economic and social policy," exulted Aldo Serrano, a spokesman for the unions.

Troops supported by armored cars evicted an estimated 3,000 demonstrators who had closed Yerevan airport in the southern Soviet Republic of Armenia in a sharp escalation of the civil strife in the region, Soviet officials said Wednesday. At least 36 people, including several policemen, were injured in the airport melee late Tuesday, officials said, and the clash triggered a general strike that paralyzed Yerevan itself Wednesday.

A general strike in Haiti called Monday to protest election violence eight days ago only partially shut down the island nation's capital city, according to reports from Port-au-Prince. Some shops and factories stayed open and many workers trudged to their jobs despite the reduced availability of mass transportation. Confusion seemed to be one reason that the strike was less than fully effective.

President Pieter W. Botha, under unprecedented international pressure to end South Africa's apartheid system, offered Wednesday to restore the citizenship of blacks who lost it when nominally independent tribal homelands were established for them, a move that will affect more than a third of South Africa's 25 million blacks.

Foes of a military junta called a general strike for today in hopes of restoring deposed Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide to power. An uneasy calm settled on this capital city Thursday, and there were mounting reports of heavy casualties from the coup earlier this week. Gen. Raoul Cedras, the junta's leader, indicated that he is prepared to welcome a delegation from the Organization of American States.

The head of Nigeria's in terim government, Ernest Shonekan, ordered the immediate release Sunday of pro-democracy leaders detained since July. A general strike called by unions over the military's installation of Shonekan meanwhile worsened a fuel shortage and further crippled this city, Nigeria's largest.

Fewer than 15 hours after Los Angeles County social workers walked off their jobs, a "conceptual agreement" was reached Monday evening to avert a countywide general strike threatened for today by the union representing 40,000 county workers. Gilbert Cedillo, general manager of Local 660 of the Service Employees International Union, announced the tentative agreement at a news conference, saying: "The strategy of Rolling Thunder worked."