- Title: FRANCE: STRIKING TRUCK DRIVERS CONTIUE THEIR 11-DAY STRIKE
- Date: 28th November 1996
- Summary: CALAIS, PARIS AND RUNGIS, NEAR PARIS, FRANCE (NOVEMBER 28, 1996)(RTV - ACCESS ALL) CALAIS (NIGHT VIEWS) 1. SLV MEN STANDING BY FIRE/ TRUCKS IN BACKGROUND 0.14 2. SV BRITISH TRUCK DRIVER PETER SAYING A LOT OF THE DRIVERS HERE HAVE PERISHABLE GOODS (ENGLISH) 0.28 3. SLV TRUCKS (3 SHOTS) 0.39 4. SCU UNIDENTIFIED BRITISH TRUCK DRIVER SAYING THE FRENCH DRIVERS HAVE GOT A POINT AND THE SOONER THE GOVERNMENT NEGOTIATES WITH THEM AND COMES TO AN AGREEMENT, THESE ENGLISH TRUCKS AND THE BELGIANS AND THE GERMANS CAN GET ON WITH THEIR WORK (ENGLISH) 0.56 5. LV VARIOUS OF TRUCKS/ SIGN SAYING 'CALAIS' IN BACKGROUND (4 SHOTS) 1.22 PARIS 6. GV EXTERIOR OF MINISTRY OF TRANSPORT BUILDING 1.30 7. SCU GOVERNMENT MEDIATOR ROBERT CROS SAYING A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE IN AGREEMENT. SEVERAL POINTS HAVE BEEN PUBLISHED: THE UNION RIGHT, THE PAYMENT FOR ALL HOURS WORKED INCLUDING LOADING TIME, AND ABOVE ALL THE POSSIBLITY FOR RETIREMENT AT 55 YEARS OF AGE. THE EMPLOYERS ARE WILLING AN UNITERAL PAYRISE OF 1500 FF FROM DECEMBER 96 PLUS ONE PER CENT ON ALL MINIMUM SALARIES FROM JANUARY 97 2.29 (FRENCH) 8. SCU CFDT UNION SPOKESMAN JOEL LE COQ SAYING IT IS NOT A SUCCESS, IT IS A FAILURE. WE CONTINUE TO NEGOTIATE TO FIND A SOLUTION. WE CANNOT STAY AT THIS STAGE (FRENCH) 2.47 RUNGIS, 20 KMS SOUTH OF PARIS (NIGHT VIEWS) 9. SLV OF ROAD BLOCK (3 SHOTS) 3.09 10. SCU JEAN MICHEL VANDERAGEN FROM CGT (COMMUNIST UNION) SAYING WE ARE TALKING ABOUT A TWO PER CENT (SIC) INCREASE ON THE MINIMUM SALARY, SO IT IS REALLY NOTHING AT ALL...IT IS TIME FOR THE EUROPEAN DRIVERS TO JOIN THEIR FORCES AND JOIN THE STRIKE (FRENCH) 3.52 11. GV TRUCKS 3.53 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.
- Embargoed: 13th December 1996 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: CALAIS, PARIS AND RUNGIS, NEAR PARIS, FRANCE
- City:
- Country: France
- Reuters ID: LVAB3XAV54BWLEXBP34LEGCC4PVN
- Story Text: INTRO: Striking truck drivers are continuing their 11-day stranglehold on the French economy, ignoring government appeals to return to work after marathon talks with bosses collapsed over pay demands.
French truckers maintained almost 250 blockades on main roads and at key industrial sites on Thursday (November 28). The action has brought petrol rationing in some areas, closed factories and trapped hundreds of foreign trucks.
In Calais, hundreds of British truck drivers have been prevented from returning to Britain.
One British driver said that a lot of the British drivers had perishable goods in their trucks which will be ruined soon.
Many British drivers have been living for days in their cabs, running out of money, food and patience. But many sympathise with their French counterparts.
"The French drivers have a point and the sooner the government negotiates with them and comes to an agreement, these English, Belgian and German trucks can get on with their work," said one British truck driver.
Talks between French lorries drivers and employers broke down in the early hours of Thursday.
Government mediator Robert Cros who led the 75-hour talks said he viewed his mediating as a success "because all the points that were on the agenda were discussed".
He also invited both sides to the Transport Ministry on Friday to sign agreements reached in the talks, putting the onus on the unions to accept the package.
But CFDT union spokesman Joel Le Coq did not share Cros' optimism.
"The talks were not successful. We continue to negotiate to find a solution. We cannot stay at this stage," he said.
Union sources said the breakdown was over pay. Truckers have demanded a pay rise of up to 23 per cent but employers have offered only one per cent.
Snow and sleet in several areas of northern and eastern France, including some Paris suburbs, brought new misery to motorists trying to find a way around the truckers' blockades.
In Rungis, near Paris, truck drivers continued their blockade of the Logistical Platform of the main Paris food teminal.
Jean Michel Vanderagen from the CGT union called on truck drivers from other countries to join the strike.
"It's time for the European drivers to join their forces and go on strike...It's time to have a common policy and the competition among British, German and Italian truck drivers should stop. We all have the same problems," he said.
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