Unions blockade Normandy bridge as French gas stations run dry

Record ID: 101987

  • Title: Unions blockade Normandy bridge as French gas stations run dry
  • Date: 25th May 2016
  • Summary: GONFREVILLE-L'ORCHER, FRANCE (MAY 25, 2016) (REUTERS) ***WARNING CONTAINS PROFANITY*** NORMANDY BRIDGE VARIOUS OF UNION WORKERS WEARING COLOURFUL VESTS AND JACKETS BLOCKING ENTRANCE TO BRIDGE UNION WORKERS / ENTRANCE TO TOLL BOOTH GROUPS OF UNION WORKERS STANDING LORRIES LINED UP AT ENTRANCE OF BRIDGE UNION WORKER HOLDING COLOURFUL CGT FLAG UNION WORKERS STANDING BY VANS LORRY LEAVING GROUPS OF UNION WORKERS STANDING BY ENTRANCE TO BRIDGE (SOUNDBITE) (French) MEMBER OF CGT UNION IN LE HAVRE, REYNALD KUBECKI, SAYING: "We can't lose our momentum, there are still many days of fighting ahead of us. We still have (fuel) reserves and our determination has not decreased." RV DRIVING THROUGH DEMONSTRATORS VANS AND LORRIES DRIVING ACROSS NORMANDY BRIDGE CONTAINER SHIP ENTERING PORT VARIOUS OF FUEL DEPOT IN PORT FRENCH FUEL COMPANY TOTAL FUEL TANK CARS WAITING IN LINE TO REACH PETROL STATION WOMAN IN CAR WAITING TO REACH PETROL STATION (SOUNDBITE) (French) RESIDENT OF SAINT-LAURENT-DE-BREVEDENT, CORINNE BESSON, SAYING: "Petrol, well I already got a fill in a nearby town this morning. I waited in line for 40 minutes to fill up 20 litres, and now I'm waiting in line again, I think it'll take about an hour and I'll probably get about 20 litres again." CARS WAITING IN LINE DIGITAL SCREEN SHOWING VOLUME AND PRICE OF GAS GOING UP FUEL PUMP IN GAS TANK GAUGE SHOWING NEAR-EMPTY GAS TANK (SOUNDBITE) (French) LE HAVRE RESIDENT, THOMAS BOMY, SAYING: "In any case, I think I have about 45 km left in my tank, and I don't think I'll find an open petrol station 45 km from here. I checked my iPhone to get here, I clicked on the map for petrol stations and they showed this one as open." CARS WAITING IN LINE GRAFFITI READING (French): "HOLLANDE YOU'RE A WHORE" CARS WAITING IN LINE
  • Embargoed: 9th June 2016 14:07
  • Keywords: France blockade strike protests unions oil Normandy Bridge labour law
  • Location: GONFREVILLE-L'ORCHER, FRANCE
  • City: GONFREVILLE-L'ORCHER, FRANCE
  • Country: France
  • Topics: Government/Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA0014JB3UIV
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: PLEASE NOTE: THIS EDIT CONTAINS VISUALS OF LANGUAGE THAT COULD BE CONSIDERED OFFENSIVE IN SHOT 25
    Hundreds of union workers blocked entry to the Normandy Bridge in northern France on Wednesday (May 25) as part of ongoing protests against a widely unpopular reform to France's labour law.
    Led by the CGT union, one of the biggest in France, but whose power is waning and is banking a lot on this wave of protests, demonstrators stopped traffic at the bridge's toll booths for a few hours before authorities cleared them out.
    "We can't lose our momentum, there are still many days of fighting ahead of us. We still have (fuel) reserves and our determination has not decreased," said CGT activist Reynald Kubecki.
    The stand-off between France's government and the hardline CGT union over labour reforms stiffened on Wednesday as the country mobilised strategic oil stocks for the first time in 6 years and employers warned the protests were starting to hurt the economy.
    In parts of France, motorists swamped petrol stations, some using real-time mobile phone applications to learn where they could refill without queuing for hours or being turned away.
    Corinne Besson, who lives near Le Havre in northern France, said she had to wait in line twice on Wednesday to fill her tank.
    "Petrol, well I already got a fill in a nearby town this morning. I waited in line for 40 minutes to fill up 20 litres, and now I'm waiting in line again, I think it'll take about an hour and I'll probably get about 20 litres again," she said.
    Total, which operates about a fifth of France's stations, said 348 out of its 2,200 petrol stations were out of stock.
    The panic-buying amid fuel rationing in parts of France will compound the troubles of President Francois Hollande and his government as they strive to convince voters that "things are getting better".
    Emergency stocks could keep fuel stations open for up to two months if tapped, according to experts.
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