FRANCE: TEN DAY OLD FRENCH TRUCK DRIVERS BLOCKADE CONTINUES AS FRENCH AIRLINE PILOTS BEGIN TWO DAY STIKE OVER CONDITIONS

Record ID: 639608

  • Title: FRANCE: TEN DAY OLD FRENCH TRUCK DRIVERS BLOCKADE CONTINUES AS FRENCH AIRLINE PILOTS BEGIN TWO DAY STIKE OVER CONDITIONS
  • Date: 27th November 1996
  • Summary: CALAIS AND PARIS, FRANCE (NOVEMBER 27, 1996) (RTV - ACCESS ALL) CALAIS, FRANCE 1. GV VIEW OF PORT, TRUCKS PARKED (2 SHOTS) 0.09 2. LV OF TRUCKS LINING ROAD INTO CALAIS 0.12 3. LV/SV BARRIER ACROSS ROAD INTO PORT, RED FRENCH LORRY BLOCKING ROAD, FRENCH TRADE UNION BANNER (3 SHOTS) 0.24 4. SV GROUP OF TRUCK DRIVERS WALKING BETWEEN PARKED LORRIES 0.32 5. MCU BRITISH DRIVER NEIL HARVEY SAYING THE PEOPLE I FEEL SORRY FOR ARE THE BLOKES SEVEN MILES DOWN THE ROAD WHO HAVE NOTHING. WE HAVE IT EASY AND WILL JUST HAVE TO SIT TIGHT (ENGLISH) 0.40 6. LV LONG QUEUES OF LORRIES DOWN ROAD 0.44 7. MCU BRITISH DRIVER MARK LOCKETT SAYING IT'S NOT SO BAD FOR ME. SOME OF THE LADS ON THE OTHER SIDE WHO ARE WAITING TO GO HOME HAVE BEEN HERE FOR 11 DAYS, THEY HAVE NO CLEAN CLOTHES AND ARE RUNNING OUT OF MONEY. THEY ARE REALLY SUFFERING (ENGLISH) 0.57 8. LV LORRIES 1.02 9. GV OF PORT 1.08 RUNGIS (A SUBURB OF PARIS), FRANCE 10. SLV OF TRUCKS BLOCKING ENTRANCE TO RUNGIS MARKET (2 SHOTS) 1.19 11. MCU CGT UNION REPRESENTATIVE FRANCOIS POUGETOUX SAYING THAT HE IS ENCOURAGED BY PROGRESS IN THE TALKS, BUT THAT TRUCKERS WILL CONTINUE TO STRIKE UNTIL ALL ISSUES ARE RESOLVED (FRENCH) 1.39 ORLY AIRPORT, PARIS, FRANCE 12. EXT/INT LV AND SV OF ORLY AIRPORT (5 SHOTS) 2.02 . MCU HUGUES GENDRE, DIRECTOR GENERAL OF NATIONAL PILOTS UNION SYNDICAT NATIONAL DES PILOTES DE LIGNE, SNPL), SAYING THAT THE AIR STRIKE IS IN PROTEST OF DEREGULATION OF THE EUROPEAN AIRLINE INDUSTRY, WHICH WILL RESULT IN THE LOSS OF MANY FRENCH JOBS (FRENCH) 2.19 14. LV/SLV AT AIPORT (2 SHOTS) 2.28 CALAIS, FRANCE 15. SV/CU OF TRUCK DRIVERS BEING GIVEN FOOD BY CALAIS CHAMBRE DE COMMERCE (3 SHOTS) 3.04 14. SLV/MCU TWO BIKINI-CLAD GIRLS SENT BY BRITISH NEWSPAPER TO CHEER UP LORRY DRIVERS POSING WITH DRIVERS (2 SHOTS) 3.18 15. SLV LORRY DRIVERS LOOKING ON 3.23 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.
  • Embargoed: 12th December 1996 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: CALAIS ,PARIS, RUNGIS AND ORLY AIRPORT, FRANCE
  • City:
  • Country: France
  • Reuters ID: LVA3VS8WW28XZ4Q29YGWTKZ0ACYS
  • Story Text: - INTRO: Despite calls by some French union leaders to widen a 10-day-old truck drivers' strike to other sectors, there has been little sign of the dispute turning into a broad labour revolt like last year's 24-day public sector strike.

    More than 200 roads were blocked by French truck drivers on Wednesday (November 27) to back their demands for a ten percent pay rise, shorter hours and early retirement.

    Union leaders confirmed that a consensus had been reached on early retirement, to be funded by the government, and shorter working hours, but said further negotiations were necessary and urged their members to stay on the barricades.

    Reports said three of the five trade unions in the talks had signed agreements with the employers.

    Francois Pougetoux, a representative of the big Communist-led CGT Union, said at a blockade in Rungis that he was encouraged by progress in the talks but the drivers would continue to strike until all the issues were resolved.

    Airline pilots began a two-day strike over their own working conditions on Wednesday, forcing state-owned Air France and its domestic subsidiary Air France Europe to cancel some flights, and rail workers in a single region staged a 24-hour stoppage.

    British drivers who remain stuck in Calais said conditions were getting worse and some had been there for 11 days and were now running out of clean clothes.

    Food trays were given out by the Calais Chambre de Commerce and entertainment in the form of two bikini-clad girls was provided by a British newspaper.


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