51.   Lower interest rates tend to make a currency less attractive to investors and thus weaken demand for it.

52.   That makes investments denominated in yen and marks preferable to those denominated in dollars, further weakening demand for dollars.

53.   The Brazilian devaluation in January has also weakened demand for their products.

54.   The consultancy says job losses at senior level are expected to further weaken demand for luxury flats, pushing rents even lower.

55.   The economic slowdown in the region would contract imports and thereby weaken dollar demand in the second half, they added.

56.   The reasons were fiscal policies, cyclical trends and weakened demand from major Western economies, he said.

57.   Union leader Jose Risco said the workers are protesting a recent court ruling that reduced their collective bargaining power and weakened their demands for higher wages.