More state-controlled companies and factories have joined the strike in Belarus, turning up the pressure on President Alexander Lukashenko to step down after winning an election they say was rigged.
Tuesday's walkouts strengthened the strike that began on Monday, encompassing several large tractor factories in Minsk, a huge potash factory in Soligorsk that accounts for one-fifth of the world's potash fertilizer output and is the nation's top cash earner, state television and the country's most prominent theatre.
The development marked the 10th day of unprecedented mass protests against election results that handed Lukashenko his sixth term with 80 percent of the votes, while his top challenger Svetlana Tikhanovskaya apparently only received 10 percent.
"The authorities should understand that they are losing control. Only Lukashenko's resignation and punishment of those in charge of rigging and beatings (of protesters) can calm us down," head of an independent miners' union Yuri Zakharov told The Associated Press news agency on Tuesday.
"The people said their 'no' to Lukashenko, and we will not back down. The strike will continue and grow until he steps down."
Lukashenko on Monday dismissed the strikes as insignificant and said he would not cave in to pressure, but appeared nervous as dissent grew.
An envoy resigns
Also Tuesday, the Belarusian ambassador to Slovakia, Igor Leshchenya, said he had handed in his resignation after coming out with a statement in support of the protests.
In a video released on Saturday, Leshchenya expressed "solidarity with those who came out on the streets of Belarusian cities with peaceful marches so that their voice could be heard".
He said he had been shocked by the reports of mass beatings and torture of protesters and accused Belarusian law enforcement of restoring the traditions of the Soviet secret police.
Leshchenya, the first top government official to support the protests against Lukashenko, said in an interview on Tuesday that resigning after that was "a logical move".
The mass protests, which drew hundreds of thousands of people, have continued despite a brutal response from the police, who in the first four days of demonstrations arrested almost 7,000 people and injured hundreds with rubber bullets, stun grenades and clubs. At least two protesters died.
On Tuesday, nearly 1,000 people gathered in front of a theatre to support its troupe who gave notice en masse after the director, Pavel Latushko, was fired for siding with the protesters.
A 'coordination council' forms
Tikhanovskaya left the country for Lithuania in a move her campaign said was made under duress.
On Monday, she announced she was ready to act as a national leader to facilitate a new election.
Her top ally, Maria Kolesnikova, said on Tuesday that a "coordination council" is being formed to represent the people and negotiate the transition of power.
The council will figure out the best way for transition of power, "be it new elections or some other option", she said.
Lukashenko, who has run the ex-Soviet nation of 9.5 million with an iron fist since 1994, called the launch of the council an attempt to seize power.
"We see it unequivocally: it is an attempt to seize power," he said, adding that he would take measures against those who join the council. "We have enough of these measures to cool down some hot heads."
Lukashenko has run the ex-Soviet nation of 9.5 million with an iron fist since 1994 [Tatyana Zenkovich/EPA]
Western officials refused to recognise the Belarusian election as free or fair and criticised the country's authorities for their violent crackdown on protesters.
In Brussels, European Council President Charles Michel said an emergency summit of EU leaders would convene on Wednesday to discuss the election and crackdown.
Last week, the 27 EU foreign ministers decided to start drawing up a list of people who could face sanctions resulting from their involvement in the violence.
Merkel, Putin talk
German Chancellor Angela Merkel spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday, according to her spokesman Steffen Seibert.
"[Merkel] underlined that the Belarusian government must refrain from violence against peaceful protesters, immediately release political prisoners and enter into a national dialogue with the opposition and (civil) society to overcome the crisis," Seibert said.
In its statement, the Kremlin said Putin warned Merkel against foreign interference in Belarus.
Moscow also said it expected the tense situation in its neighbour and ally to soon calm down.
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More state-controlled firms join strike against Belarus president - Al Jazeera English
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