Around 1,000 strike supporters gather outside the Tunisian General Labour Union (UGTT) headquarters in central Tunis, singing the national anthem and waving flags. The powerful UGTT confederation had called on up to three million public sector workers to strike, halting work at 159 state agencies and public companies to demand concessions on salaries and threatened reforms. In a fiery speech, UGTT chief Noureddine Taboubi says the action has been over 96 percent successful, and blames the government for the collapse of salary negotiations. IMAGES AND SOUNDBITES