Union calls off strike in restive Tunisian town

— A regional Tunisian labor union has suspended a nearly weeklong strike in an impoverished central town after hundreds were injured during clashes with police.

The Regional Workers Union in Siliana announced a provisional halt to the strike Sunday, hours after agreeing to a deal with the central government in Tunis, the capital of this North African nation.

In the deal, regional governor Ahmed Mahjoubi of the moderate Islamist party Ennahda was pulled from his post amid accusations of neglecting public concerns and refusing dialogue. A union leader said the strike would resume if he returned.

The economically downtrodden town southwest of Tunis has faced days of protests and violent clashes with police that were reminiscent of a popular uprising two years ago that grew into Tunisia’s revolution.

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