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US Condemns Violence In Bangladesh, Calls For Calm, Restraint

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US Condemns Violence In Bangladesh, Calls For Calm, Restraint

“The United States condemns today’s political violence in Dhaka.”

Washington DC:

The United States has condemned the political violence that took place in Dhaka on Saturday and said that it will be “reviewing all violent incidents for possible visa restrictions.” It called for calm and restraint on all sides.

Taking to X, the US Department of State’s account for the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs (SCA) on Friday stated, “The United States condemns today’s political violence in Dhaka. We call for calm and restraint on all sides and will review all violent incidents for possible visa restrictions.”

The statement of the US Department of State comes after a police officer, and a political activist were killed during the clashes between the BNP and police.

The US Embassy in Dhaka called for calm and restraint on all sides. Taking to X, the US Embassy in Dhaka stated, “The United States condemns the political violence that took place in Dhaka on October 28. The reported killing of a police officer, a political activist, and the burning of a hospital are unacceptable. As is violence against civilians, including journalists. We call for calm and restraint on all sides. We will be reviewing all violent incidents for possible visa restrictions.”

Bangladesh political rallies sparked clashes as election tensions rise resulting in the death of a Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) activist and a policeman and left many others injured on Saturday, Dhaka Tribune reported.

Bangladesh’s major political parties BNP and Awami League held protests with scattered violence ahead of expected elections in January 2024. A police constable was killed in a clash with supporters of the BNP in the Fakirapool area. The deceased police personnel has been identified as Aminul Parvez, a constable of DMP’s CTTC unit, according to Dhaka Tribune report.

BNP activist has been identified as Shamim Mollah, president of ward-7 Mugda Thana Jubo Dal. BNP Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi said that Shamim was injured in police firing. According to the BNP leader, he was taken to the Central Police Hospital in critical condition, where the doctors pronounced him dead.

Meanwhile, police said Shamim Mollah died of a heart attack. Central Police Hospital Director Deputy Inspector General of Police Rezaul Haider said that there was no sign of injury on his body. He is believed to have died of a heart attack, according to Dhaka Tribune report.”

In the afternoon when chase and counter chase was taking place between police and BNP men in front of the hospital, the man was passing through the road in front of the hospital. At one stage, he fell unconscious on the road,” Rezaul said.

He added, “After the situation calmed down, some people rescued him from there and brought him to the hospital. Then the doctor on duty declared him dead.”Opposition party supporters were demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and the transfer of power to a non-partisan caretaker government to oversee general elections next year.

The protesters demanded that a free and fair vote under a neutral government should be allowed. The BNP had organised its rally in front of its headquarters to demand for elections under a non-partisan interim government.

Meanwhile, the Awami League held its “peace and development rally” at Baitul Mukarram’s south gate to counter the BNP’s. Since morning, BNP leaders and activists started thronging the rally venue and shouted anti-government slogans. The entire road between the Kakrail intersection to Notre Dame College in Arambagh was packed with party activists and supporters.

Tensions flared up around 11:30 am (local time) when the ruling party activists on two pickups and a bus were stopped by BNP activists near Kakrail mosque, The Daily Star reported. The activists of Awami League were heading towards the Baitul Mukarram mosque to attend their rally, according to police and witnesses. Clashes erupted after the BNP activists vandalised the pickups and the bus. Police present at the spot detained one man involved in vandalism, they said.

After the clash, more BNP activists rushed to the spot and were seen intercepting pedestrians. Dozens of people, including law enforcers, BNP activists and journalists were injured in the clashes. At least 10 vehicles and a police box were torched and over a dozen vehicles were vandalised during the clashes that took place in Kakrail, Nayapaltan, Bijoynagar, Malibagh, Arambagh areas and near Matsya Bhaban, according to The Daily Star report.

Law enforcers fired teargas shells, threw sound grenades and used firearms to disperse the BNP leaders and activists who had gathered at Nayapaltan and nearby areas since morning, according to The Daily Star report.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Middle East

Thousands march in support of Palestinians in UK, France, Switzerland

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Tens of thousands of pro-Palestinian protesters marched in Britain Saturday calling for a ceasefire as Israel’s army intensified its assault on the Gaza Strip. Thousands more demonstrated in France and Switzerland. 

As Israel was trying to use intense airstrikes as a cover for its ground forces to step up fighting in Gaza, the United Nations warned thousands more civilians could die.

Israel unleashed its bombing campaign against the besieged territory after the Gaza-based Palestinian resistance groups lunched Operation al-Aqsa Storm against the regime on October 7.

Gaza’s health ministry says Israeli strikes have since killed more than 8,000 Palestinians, more than 3,000 of them children.

It was the third consecutive weekend that London hosted a large rally in support of Palestinians.

One marcher, said UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s call for a “humanitarian pause” in the fighting to allow aid into Gaza and hostages to leave was not enough.

“A full ceasefire needs to happen,” the protester told AFP, adding, “It’s time now to do something rather than let it escalate any further.”

The demonstrators gathered at a central point by the River Thames at midday, before making their way to the UK parliament in Westminster.

Another protester was quoted by AFP as saying that she just wanted the war to end, adding, “It can’t go on like this. The world is dying and I want lasting peace for everybody. That’s the way it should be.”

About 100,000 people joined the “March for Palestine” in London according to British media, which also reported scuffles with police.

London’s Metropolitan Police deployed more than 1,000 officers to patrol the march.

Police arrested one protester on suspicion of assaulting an officer, and another for making racist remarks and threats to kill.

Other rallies took place Saturday in Manchester, and Glasgow in Scotland.

Paris marchers defy ban 

Thousands of demonstrators also took part in rallies across France on Saturday.

Protesters joined one in Paris, defying a court ban issued on public order grounds. A large contingent of police blocked demonstrators in the center of the capital. 

Among the protesters were elected officials, including a Green MP and a far-left lawmaker. 

“(The need for) a ceasefire is urgent, to stop killing women, children and men,” said Elsa Toure, the deputy mayor of Corbeil-Essonnes, south of Paris.

Demonstrator, Samia Orosemane, carried a sign with the words, “Where has our humanity gone?” 

“It is not right that a ceasefire has not been called, that thousands of civilians are dying and no one is saying anything,” she said, adding, “In the country of human rights, we are prevented from protesting.”

An administrative court on Saturday upheld the ban, citing “the serious risk of disturbing public order” amid “heightened tensions linked to the events in the Gaza Strip with a rise in anti-Semitic acts in France”.

There was a 135-euro ($143) fine for taking part. By the evening, police said they had made 21 arrests and issued more than 1,350 fines.

Demonstrators also took to the streets in other French cities.

Organizers said 4,000 marched in the southern city of Marseille, while police put the figure at 1,800.

And in Switzerland, organizers said 7,000 demonstrators gathered in Zurich, with police saying there were “several thousand.”

There were 2,000 in Lausanne, 1,800 in Geneva and over a thousand in Bern.

(Source: AFP)

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'Friends' Actor Matthew Perry Dies, Body Found In Hot Tub: Report

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'Friends' Actor Matthew Perry Dies, Body Found In Hot Tub: Report

Matthew Perry, one of the stars of smash hit TV sitcom “Friends,” has died aged 54

Los Angeles:

Matthew Perry, one of the stars of smash hit TV sitcom “Friends,” was found dead at his home Saturday, US media reported. He was 54. First responders found Perry unconscious in a hot tub at his Los Angeles home and were unable to revive him, law enforcement sources told the Los Angeles Times.

The LA Times and TMZ, which first reported the news, both said there were no signs of “foul play”, citing anonymous sources. 

Perry was best known for his portrayal of the wise-cracking Chandler Bing on NBC’s wildly popular “Friends,” which ran for 10 seasons from 1994 to 2004.

Perry had battled for years with addiction to painkillers and alcohol and attended rehabilitation clinics on multiple occasions.

In his memoir “Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing,” published last year, Perry described going through detox 65 times, spending some $9 million in attempts to get sober.

Perry experienced health problems including a burst colon in 2018 due to his drug usage, which required a seven-hour surgery and the use of a colostomy bag for months after.

Perry dedicated the book to “all of the sufferers out there,” and wrote in the prologue: “I should be dead.”

TMZ reported that no drugs were found at the scene on Saturday. It said Perry was found by his assistant, who called 911.

Perry was born in Massachusetts to Canadian and American parents and was raised in Canada before moving to Los Angeles. 

As well as “Friends,” Perry appeared in movies such as “Fools Rush In” and “The Whole Nine Yards.”

“Friends” followed the lives of six New Yorkers navigating dating, careers, and friendship.

Perry and his co-stars — Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, and David Schwimmer — negotiated $1 million each per episode by the end of their colossally popular and zeitgeist-setting 236-episode, 10-year run.

In a sign of the show’s enduring appeal, the gang reportedly pocketed $2.5 million each for a reunion episode in 2021.

During that episode, Perry’s slurred speech prompted concern among fans.

Perry also surprised his co-stars by admitting to having suffered severe anxiety “every night” during filming.

Perry’s representatives did not immediately respond to AFP’s request for comment. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Hyderabad

‘Return to office’ helps support staff

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Many livelihoods depend on employees working from office

Published Date – 07:30 AM, Sun – 29 October 23


‘Return to office’ helps support staff

Security personnel, housekeeping teams, drivers, and
maintenance crews keep the workplace running smooth.

Hyderabad: With more and more IT and ITES companies asking their staff to return to the office, there appears to be reluctance among employees, who for some time have grown accustomed to work from home, regarding this transition.

While remote work initially served as a temporary solution during the Covid-19 pandemic, many organisations are now making in-office work a requirement, considering factors such as the livelihoods dependent on the traditional office environment.

Within the office ecosystem, it’s not just about the employees who occupy desks but also the vital support staff including security personnel, housekeeping teams, drivers, and maintenance crews who keep the workplace running smoothly.

The act of employees working from the office directly contributes to the livelihoods of these essential workers. When one is working from office, they are also supporting people from various livelihoods, points IT Principal Secretary, Jayesh Ranjan.

“Every building has hundreds of people working like security, and housekeeping staff. When an employee is working from home, they get their salary and increments but this whole army of people have a tough life, so with this sensitivity, we have to bring back work from office,” he says.

These roles often represent a segment of the workforce that may not have the luxury of working from home and may not possess substantial savings or financial reserves. The remote work or work-from-home culture had many challenges for these support staff.

As employees transitioned to working from home, the demand for their services kept decreasing, which led to layoffs, reduced work hours, or financial instability for these workers and their families.

“During Covid we thought we would go back to normal soon but then the entire office started working from home. There was no need for us to be there, which led them to fire us from our jobs; it was a tough time for me and my family,” says Raju, a sweeper at an office before Covid.

While remote work offers flexibility and convenience, it is a relatively new concept that raises ethical and productivity concerns. Employers are concerned about potential ethical lapses when employees operate outside the traditional office setting, making the need for a return to the office more compelling in some cases.

Collaboration is another factor, in-office environments foster spontaneous interactions and creative brainstorming, which are often difficult to replicate virtually. While technology has made progress in facilitating virtual collaboration, it cannot fully replace the richness of in-person interactions, it is pointed out.

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Chandrababu’s chapter closed, says Vijay Sai Reddy

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Participating in the Samajika Sadhikara Bus Yatra for social empowerment, Vijay Sai Reddy alleged that the TDP president took care of only his family and cheated the oppressed classes

Published Date – 07:12 PM, Sat – 28 October 23


Chandrababu’s chapter closed, says Vijay Sai Reddy

File Photo

Bapatla: YSR Congress Party Rajya Sabha member V. Vijay Sai Reddy has remarked that Telugu Desam Party president N.Chandrababu Naidu‘s chapter is closed.

Participating in the Samajika Sadhikara Bus Yatra for social empowerment here on Saturday, he alleged that the TDP president took care of only his family and cheated the oppressed classes. “That’s why people are not bothered about him. The TDP is unable to stomach the large scale housing and welfare schemes of our government. Chandrababu’s chapter is closed. YSRCP will win in all seats,” he stated.

On the allegations by state BJP president D. Purandeswari, the MP commented that her’s was unstable politics. She did not have any constituency of her own and indulged in self-centred politics with personal agenda, he stated. Vijay Sai Reddy also condemned the baseless allegations levelled by her on him in liquor deals and advised her to think twice before levelling charges against others.

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Cricket World Cup 2023: Netherlands Thrash Bangladesh By 87 Runs

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A clinical bowling effort complemented skipper Scott Edwards’ gritty half-century as Netherlands once again punched above their weight to secure a handsome 87-run win over Bangladesh in the World Cup in Kolkata on Saturday. Edwards overcame an edgy start to score a second World Cup fifty and take them to a modest 229 all out after they opted to bat on a fresh Eden wicket hosting its first match of the global showpiece. Bangladesh found themselves ‘at home’ with the 15,000-odd crowd strongly rooting for them to revive their campaign after losing four games on the trot.

But their batters once again came up with an insipid show as they were unable to cope with the extra bounce as the Netherlands bowlers, led by Paul van Meekeren (7.2-0-23-4), aced the conditions beautifully to bundle them out for 142 in 42.2 overs.

Four single-digit scores from their top six batters summed up the plight of Bangladesh batters as they failed to live up to the expectations yet again.

Bas de Leede bagged 2/25 in seven overs, while Aryan Dutt, Logan van Beek and Colin Ackermann took one each while bowling tidy spells.

This was a fifth defeat on the trot for Bangladesh and their campaign is as good as over with three matches remaining for them.

They will take on Pakistan here on Tuesday in a seventh round clash.

If beating South Africa was not enough, the Dutch, who are the only Associate Nation in the tournament, proved that they are far superior than the Test-playing nation as they executed their plans with clinical precision to emerge winners.

From Litton Das’ (3) uncalled for reverse sweep to off-spinner Aryan Dutt early in the innings to his opening partner Tanzid Hasan’s (15) inability to cope with the odd bounce from short of length deliveries, Bangladesh were exposed early by a spirited Dutch attack.

The two dismissals in consecutive wicket-maiden overs shook the struggling Bangladesh to the core.

With two new batters at the crease, Bangladesh played 20 dot balls on the trot before Shanto broke the shackles with a boundary off Van Beek in the eighth over.

After that Shanto and Mehidy Hasan Miraz batted with a lot of intent in a 26-run partnership off 39 balls to revive Bangladesh’s hopes. But Paul van Meekeren cut it short by dismissing Shanto with a wide yorker.

With captain Shakib Al Hasan for company, Miraz continued playing the role of the aggressor but not for long.

The skipper, back from a brief session with his personal coach in Dhaka, made five off 14 balls, done in by the extra bounce off Van Meekeren.

Just when the situation demanded Miraz to show some restrain, the Bangla batter got out to leave his team reeling at 69/5 in 16.5 overs.

Earlier, desperate to revive their fortunes after four successive losses, Bangladesh made smart bowling changes and their attack looked incisive.

But complacency in fielding ensured that the Dutchmen lasted the distance after losing half of the side for 107 runs inside 27 overs.

Edwards got three lifelines as he was dropped twice on duck and once on 12 when his edge flew past the three-man slip cordon.

With Sybrand Engelbrecht (35), Edwards added 78 runs for the sixth wicket before Mustafizur Rahman ended the Dutch skipper’s chancy innings.

Towards the end, Logan van Beek played a cameo of 23 not out from 16 balls (2×4, 1×6) as the Netherlands scored 36 runs in last three overs before being bowled out in the last ball of the innings.

Mustafizur (2/36) was the pick of Bangladesh attack and his wickets of the dangerous-looking Wesley Barresi (41) in the middle overs and Dutch skipper at the death ensured Bangladesh restricted them to within 230.

The new-ball attack of Shoriful Islam (10-0-51-2) and a fit-again Taskin Ahmed (9-1-43-2) gave Bangladesh a perfect start after Edwards opted to bat.

Taskin, who missed their matches against India and South Africa because of a sore shoulder, dismissed Vikramjit Singh in his opening over.

Shoriful then had Max O’Dowd for a duck to have Netherlands struggling at 4/2 in the third over before Baressi played the most entertaining knock of the Dutch innings.

The oldest player of the tournament, Barresi showed the way in his run-a-ball knock, milking the the attack of Taskin and Shoriful.

The 39-year-old, who is the only surviving member of the Netherlands side from the 2011 World Cup, started with a leg-side flick to boundary against Shoriful and followed it up with another boundary in the same over.

Taskin looked at his tidy best in his first spell, but Barresi was nonchalant and pulled him in front of square leg and then elegantly lofted him over the mid-off region for two boundaries in one over.

The duo raced to a fifty-run partnership in no time before a clever bowling change broke the stand.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Topics mentioned in this article

Hyderabad

Skyroot plans Vikram-1 launch in early 2024

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Vikram-1 stands as a seven-storey, multi-stage rocket, marking a notable achievement as one of the few privately developed rockets worldwide with the capacity to deploy orbital satellites.

Published Date – 07:00 AM, Sun – 29 October 23


Skyroot plans Vikram-1 launch in early 2024

Distinguished by its all-carbon-fibre construction, this rocket can transport multiple satellites
into orbit, making it India’s first in the space sector and first few globally.

Hyderabad: Hyderabad-based Skyroot Aerospace is preparing to launch Vikram-1, a multi-stage launch vehicle with a payload capacity of around 300 kg, in early 2024.

Vikram-1 stands as a seven-storey, multi-stage rocket, marking a notable achievement as one of the few privately developed rockets worldwide with the capacity to deploy orbital satellites.

Distinguished by its all-carbon-fibre construction, this rocket can transport multiple satellites into orbit, making it India’s first in the space sector and first few globally. This technological advancement is a significant step in India’s space programme, said Pawan Chandana, co-founder and CEO of Skyroot Aerospace while speaking with ‘Telangana Today.‘

The rocket’s launch is scheduled in the next few months, depending on the completion of two crucial tests. “While there are quite a few key tests that are important, we have been steadily achieving the milestones. But in particular, the Stage-1 and Stage-2 static tests would be major milestones to achieve and their hardware is in various stages of manufacturing and integration,” Pawan said.

Featuring 3D-printed liquid engines, this rocket marks Skyroot’s second venture in the field, following the successful launch of the Vikram-S rocket last year.

The company has unveiled the Vikram-1 space launch vehicle alongside the inauguration of its new headquarters, ‘Max-Q’, in Hyderabad which is located at GMR Aerospace and its Industrial Park in Mamidipally is touted as the largest private rocket development facility under a single roof in the country.

“Our new headquarters will underpin our growth in the years to come, as we scale our team and operations towards our commercial launches in the coming years,” he said.

Max-Q is a cutting-edge infrastructure that accommodates integrated design, manufacturing and testing facilities for the building of space launch vehicles, as well as dedicated space for Skyroot’s 300-member workforce. This facility covers a substantial 60,000 sft and holds plans for further expansion in the near future.

With MAX-Q now operational, Skyroot boasts a total of four facilities, having a cumulative built-up area of 1,00,000 sft, establishing its position as one of the largest rocket development facilities in the private sector worldwide.

India

Sharad Pawar hits back at PM Modi’s jibe on his tenure as Agriculture Minister

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Nationalist Congress Party supremo Sharad Pawar on Saturday said that the PM should give statements keeping his constitutional stature in mind

Published Date – 01:52 PM, Sat – 28 October 23


Sharad Pawar hits back at PM Modi’s jibe on his tenure as Agriculture Minister

ANI Photo

Mumbai: After Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s jibe, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) supremo Sharad Pawar on Saturday said that the PM should give statements keeping his constitutional stature in mind.

“Prime Minister’s post is an important post. A PM should give a statement keeping his constitutional stature in mind. I don’t know why he targeted me. But I think whatever he said is because of the fact that he was not briefed rightly. Whatever statement PM had made on me, I will respond to that keeping the importance and dignity of PM post,” Sharad Pawar said while speaking at a press briefing in Mumbai.
Pawar served as the agriculture minister when the Congress-led UPA government was in office at the Centre (2004-14).

In a veiled attack on Sharad Pawar, who was the Agriculture Minister in the UPA government, PM Modi had said that while the BJP-led government was actively empowering farmers, some individuals in Maharashtra were engaged in political activities under the guise of representing farmers.

Sharad Pawar also claimed that the fear of losing power might have pushed the PM to make such comments.

“He (PM) was there to seek Darshan of Sai Baba in Shirdi, what was the need to take Darshan of Sharad Pawar there. If you see the nationwide picture, there are a lot of states where BJP is not in power or either their government has come after some sabotage in other parties. And wherever there is a BJP government, they are on weak foot. This weakness and fear of losing power may have forced him (PM) to make such statements,” Pawar added.

Further, the NCP supremo explained the crisis situation he faced during his 10-year tenure as the agriculture minister under the Congress regime.

“I want to make my stand clear on the statements made by PM Modi in Shirdi about my tenure as Agriculture Minister. I was Agriculture Minister for 10 years from 2004 to 2014. I had a crisis on the very first day of my tenure as Agri minister,” Pawar said.

He further said, “I had to sign a document for import of food grains for Public distribution system if that was not done on time our PDS distribution would have been stopped. Subsequently, I decided to increase minimum support price (MSP) of various crops, MSPs of some crops were increased manifold.” On the upcoming state assembly elections in various states, the NCP chief said that the situation is not in favour of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

“In assembly polls, I am seeing such a picture that BJP is not getting the desired support. I have not assessed for Lok Sabha polls yet. In the five assembly elections, I am seeing a picture against BJP. I can’t say that everywhere governments will change,” he said.

Pawar further accused the central government of “being completely confused” on the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict.

“Palestine and Ghaza issue is such an issue that I have not seen any confusion during our previous governments. Our government took a stand on the issue but after a few days, our foreign minister took a different stand. India’s policy has always been to support Palestine and the shift in India’s policy about the Palestine and Gaza issue now is something I have not seen till now. But this government is completely confused on this issue,” he said.

 

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Stellantis, Striking US Auto Workers Reach Tentative Deal After 44 Days

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Stellantis, Striking US Auto Workers Reach Tentative Deal After 44 Days

The protesting workers will now go back to work at grounded factories (File)

Texas:

Stellantis and the striking United Auto Workers union have reached a preliminary deal similar to the one struck earlier this week with Ford, the union said Saturday — allowing members to go back to work at grounded factories.

The tentative agreement, reached after 44 days of strike action that simultaneously targeted Detroit’s “Big Three” automakers, includes a 25 percent raise in base wages by 2028, the union said in a statement.

Cost of living adjustments will cumulatively raise the top wage by 33 percent, to over $42 an hour.

Like the Ford deal, any preliminary agreement with European auto giant Stellantis would need to be ratified via a vote from UAW members.

But in the meantime, striking Stellantis workers, like those at Ford, “will return to work while the agreement goes through the ratification process,” the UAW said.

The wage increase in the tentative agreement is lower than the 40 percent sought by UAW President Shawn Fain when the union launched the strike on September 15, in the first ever simultaneous stoppage at Ford, General Motors and Stellantis. 

However, it is far above the nine percent increase that Ford, for example, initially proposed in August.

President Joe Biden hailed the agreement.

“I applaud the UAW and Stellantis for coming together after hard fought, good faith negotiations to reach a historic agreement that will guarantee workers the pay, benefits, dignity and respect they deserve,” he said in a statement.

“Once again, we have achieved what just weeks ago we were told was impossible,” Fain said, adding that “we have begun to turn the tide in the war on the American working class.”

Some 5,000 jobs will be added by Stellantis over the course of the contract, Fain said, a turnaround from job cuts the automaker was pursuing before the negotiations.

After reaching the tentative agreement with Ford on Wednesday, the UAW had said it would encourage employees to return to their jobs at the plants it targeted with its strike, in order to put pressure on General Motors and Stellantis.

More than 45,000 workers were on strike prior to the Ford deal, as part of a strategy where the UAW has gradually ratcheted up the number of factories targeted by stoppages as it sought better terms.

GM now remains the only automaker without a tentative deal.

A strike was called at its factory in Arlington, Texas, earlier this week.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)