- Title: FRANCE: Parisians line up at petrol pumps as strikes begin to bite
- Date: 19th October 2010
- Summary: PARIS, FRANCE (OCTOBER 18, 2010) (REUTERS) TRAFFIC CONES OUTSIDE PETROL STATION CLOSED BY FUEL SHORTAGE PETROL PUMP WITH 'OUT OF SERVICE' COVER OVER IT CARS LINING UP AT PETROL STATION STILL OPEN MOTORIST FILLING CAR VEHICLES FILING THROUGH PETROL PUMP WORKING VARIOUS OF MOTORCYCLIST TANKING UP (SOUNDBITE) (French) UNNAMED MOTORCYCLIST SAYING: "It's scary. See - e
- Embargoed: 3rd November 2010 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: France
- Country: France
- Topics: Employment,Social Services / Welfare
- Reuters ID: LVA183349T245KT83D4Y3A9M13R8
- Story Text: Ignoring government reassurances that there was enough fuel to go around, Parisians lined up at petrol stations on Monday morning (October 18), as ongoing strikes by oil refinery workers threatened to disrupt supplies.
Several French media outlets reported that up to 1,000 of the country's petrol stations were experiencing some kind of shortage, despite government pledges that it would free up its strategic petroleum reserve to make up the shortfall from refineries.
One motorcyclist filling up her tank in Paris said the situation had become extremely difficult.
"It's scary. See - everyone's lining up. On the panels, they're lining up for pumps that are indicating that there's no more petrol. But at the same time, the people in front of me are facing difficulties. There you go. It's not funny."
Among the anxious motorists at a central Paris petrol station was also a taxi driver who relies on fuel for his car to make a living.
"I've been looking for petrol since quarter to eight, since quarter to eight this morning I've been looking for petrol. This must be the 10th or the 11th station I've been to. It's becoming very complicated, especially with the traffic," he said.
French President Nicolas Sarkozy is facing a make-or-break week for his unpopular pension reform as rail and refinery workers, truck drivers and street marchers ramp up pressure to scrap it before a crucial Senate vote. With petrol pumps drying up, truckers threatening to block key roads and the public planning more nationwide marches, this week will put the president's ambition to the test.
State railways SNCF said on Monday that roughly one half of high-speed services were suspended but that ones to London were fully operational.
Overnight, several groups of truckers staged wildcat actions aimed at disrupting traffic or blocking key hubs.
In the town of Senlis just north of Paris, a small group of truckers blocked the depot of a bus company that ran replacement services for cancelled trains. The action was small and lifted by just after rush hour. But unions warned they would be back.
"You're going to be seeing a number of lightening actions. Even more, now that the transport industry is getting involved. That's what we're looking for and we're hoping to force the government to climb down by hardening the movement," said Thierry Cordier, a local leader of the truckers' federation of the CFDT trades union.
France's powerful unions are hoping the next in a series of street protests since the summer will have more clout if combined with fuel shortages, cancelled trains and trucker disruption on roads. Union leaders say they will not give up until the government drops the pension reform bill and invites them to the table to have their say in a pension overhaul. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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