General strike paralyses French transport system

A FRENCH national strike on October 12 to protest government pension reform has crippled the transport systems of Europe's second largest economy.

National rail services were disrupted, reported Newark's Journal of Commerce. French union leaders warned strikes and labour supply disruptions would continue to include rolling stoppages if the government fails to remove the disagreeable retirement bill that delays the age of retirement.

As for road freight, an official of CFDT, the big truckers union, told London's International Freighting Weekly that although its members were urged to support the general strike, but the union was undecided whether to go further preferring to wait and see.

At the ports, dock workers of Marseilles, French's biggest port by tonnage, and Le Havre, the largest container hub, walked out to protest the passing of the bill.

Eighty-five ships stopped work at the Port of Marseilles, including 56 oil and product tankers unable to berth because of a separate stoppage at the nearby Fos-Lavera oil terminal, leading to fears of insufficient fuel supply in France.

The CGT Ports and Docks Federation has urged its members to kick off open-ended strikes to force the government to change the bill and to pay close attention to the work done by dock workers and crane drivers.

To increase disruption, unions have cut the length of their shifts over the past few weeks and started work stoppages over weekends.

Air traffic controllers also support the strike resulting in the cancellation of 30 per cent of flights Paris Charles de Gaulle, affecting cargo and long haul traffic badly.

Additionally, the French Civil Aviation Authority has asked the airlines to reduce their flight programmes by 30 per cent at Paris Roissy-CDG and 50 per cent at Paris Orly airport, the country's second largest.

The French Post Office estimated that 17 per cent of its staff were on strike.
(Source:www.schednet.com)