Some 1,000 striking workers at the U.S. oil-services company McDermott in Azerbaijan ended on 24 February their strike after reaching an agreement with management. The workers initiated the one-day strike in response to a move by two foreign managers to remove posters marking a national day of mourning for victims of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. The strike at the McDermott facility followed an earlier labor dispute in late November 2005, when workers demanded higher wages and more generous benefits. (Turan)