- Title: FRANCE: Country continues to suffer from petrol shortage as strikes continue
- Date: 26th October 2010
- Summary: PARIS, FRANCE (OCTOBER 25, 2010) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF CARS QUEUING AT PETROL STATION (SOUNDBITE) (French) PATRICK SALIN, CAR DRIVER, , SAYING "I was listening to the radio and it said that Monday was going to be difficult but this isn't the case but it perhaps proves a point, that the politicians are not completely aware of the situation. They said that it would return to normal last Sunday and then they said that it would be worse today but it isn't dramatic this morning so it's not serious. I don't know." PETROL PRICES (SOUNDBITE) (French) LAETITIA CAPITAIN, CAR DRIVER, , SAYING "People have gone on holiday so there are not many people here. I am going to be able to fill up in about five minutes." QUEUE AT PETROL STATION VARIOUS OF PEOPLE FILLING UP (SOUNDBITE) (French) CAR DRIVER (NAME UNKNOWN), SAYING "This is the sixth station I've been to. I am going to try and fill up 30 euros of petrol. I hope that next week we'll have petrol again." PETROL STATIONS BLOCKED OFF AS THEY ARE EMPTY GRANDPUITS, FRANCE (OCTOBER 25, 2010) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR OF REFINERY OIL STACK BURNING REFINERY STRIKING WORKERS IN FRONT OF THE GATE FIRE BURNING WORKERS WARMING THEMSELVES ON FIRE (SOUNDBITE) (French) CHRISTOPH GIBERT, TRADE UNIONIST, SAYING: "We are still on strike here. Nothing is happening. Some employees have been requisitioned for security reason. We are still in cooperation with the other 12 refineries." VARIOUS OF TRUCKS LOADING UP VARIOUS OF TRUCKS LEAVING TANKERS DRIVING PAST POLICE VARIOUS OF SECURITY BESIDE ROAD AS TRUCKS DRIVE PAST LOADED TANKERS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD
- Embargoed: 10th November 2010 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: France
- Country: France
- Topics: Domestic Politics,Energy
- Reuters ID: LVA8KACJNSFKIIY0F3HIBUD37VIS
- Story Text: Travelers in France queued for petrol on Monday (October 24) as around a quarter of all petrol stations remained short on fuel. Ongoing strikes by refinery workers over pension reform continued to drain supply, and one official said several holiday spots were likely to be particularly hard-hit.
Workers at seven out of 12 French refineries have voted to continue striking on Monday, unions said, while the remaining five are due to vote later in the day on whether to pursue strike action.
At a petrol station in Paris however, most drivers seemed surprised that the situation wasn't as bad as they had expected.
"I was listening to the radio and it said that Monday was going to be difficult but this isn't the case but it perhaps proves a point," Patrick Salin said.
"People have gone on holiday so there are not many people here. I am going to be able to fill up in about five minutes," said Laetitia Capitain.
Whereas others were having less luck.
"This is the sixth station I've been to. I am going to try and fill up 30 euros of petrol. I hope that next week we'll have petrol again," one man said.
Refinery workers have been on strike for nearly two weeks over an unpopular reform of the pension system due to become law this week, with about a quarter of petrol stations still short of fuel on Monday.
Outside the Grandpuits refinery near Paris, which has become the symbol of the strike, men could still be seen huddled around fires outside the plant, while oil tankers filled up and left, after the government requisitioned it earlier last week.
"We are still on strike here. Nothing is happening. Some employees have been requisitioned for security reason," Christoph Gibert, a union member told Reuters.
French President Nicolas Sarkozy scored a victory on Friday (October 22) by getting his bill to make people work two more years for their pensions through the Senate, but striking refinery workers are putting a strain on businesses and daily life and show no sign of backing down.
Two-thirds of French people oppose the pension law and have put up some of the fiercest resistance in Europe to austerity measures aimed at reining in huge deficits. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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