Bolivian President Evo Morales on Thursday rejected the demand of striking workers for raising pensions as their demonstrations have disrupted traffic in major cities across the country.

Morales said he could not accept the demand of the Bolivian Workers' Union (COB) for the increase of the workers' pensions, claiming it was a political demand instead of a labor one.

Accepting the increase without economic support would affect the system of pensions in the future, he said.

The workers, who have been on strike for 11 days, held massive protests in many Bolivian cities on Thursday.

In downtown La Paz, strikers and students rallied in the streets, blocking the traffic. Workers, students and teachers jointly blocked the highways in western Cochabamba, eastern Santa Cruz, northern Pando and southern Potosi.

According to Guillermo Pou Mont, president of Bolivia's National Chamber of Exporters, the losses for each day are about 6 million U.S. dollars.

This week, officials of the Ministry of Labor and union leaders held talks on the modification of the Law of Pensions, but so far no agreement has been reached.

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