FRANCE: FRENCH BOATMEN JOIN TRUCKERS BLOCKADE BY LINING THEIR BARGES ACROSS THE RIVER SEINE IN PARIS
Record ID:
647579
FRANCE: FRENCH BOATMEN JOIN TRUCKERS BLOCKADE BY LINING THEIR BARGES ACROSS THE RIVER SEINE IN PARIS
- Title: FRANCE: FRENCH BOATMEN JOIN TRUCKERS BLOCKADE BY LINING THEIR BARGES ACROSS THE RIVER SEINE IN PARIS
- Date: 6th September 2000
- Summary: PARIS, FRANCE (SEPTEMBER 6, 2000) (REUTERS) 1. LV BARGES BLOCKADING THE RIVER SEINE 0.06 2. SLV TWO BARGES BLOCKADING THE RIVER SEINE 0.08 3. WS PEOPLE ON THE RIVER BANK 0.11 4. SLV MAN WALKS ON SIDE OF STATIONARY BARGE 0.21 5. CU SIGN WHICH READS (French) 'FUEL TOO EXPENSIVE' 0.25 6. SCU (SOUNDBITE) (French) JEAN MICHEL LECLERC, DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF THE RIVER TRANSPORT UNION SAYING: ''The aim is simple. It's the increase in fuel which, as far as we are concerned, has gone up by 1. 20 francs which is utterly unbearable for professionals. It is absolutely impossible for us to recoup, from our clients, such an increase. And it has got to the point where, for smaller entreprises, all our profits have been eaten up." 0.49 DUNKIRK, FRANCE (SEPTEMBER 6, 2000) (REUTERS) 7. SLV TRUCKS ON ROAD 0.58 8. SLV TRUCKS BLOCKING PORT ENTRANCE 1.02 9. SLV TRUCKS ON THE ROAD (3 SHOTS) 1.16 PARIS, FRANCE (SEPTEMBER 6, 2000) (REUTERS) 10. WS EXTERIOR TRANSPORT MINISTRY WITH MEDIA OUTSIDE 1.24 11. MV TRANSPORT MINISTER JEAN CLAUDE GAYSSOT ARRIVING AT MINISTRY OF TRANSPORT 1.31 12. MV ALAIN BREAU FROM THE FRENCH TRANSPORT AND LOGISTICS UNION (TFL) ARRIVING 1.38 13. MV ALAIN FAUQUER FROM THE FRENCH TRANSPORT AND LOGISTICS MINISTRY (TFL) ARRIVING 1.48 14. MV DANIEL CHEVALIER FROM NATIONAL ROAD TRANSPORTATION UNION (UNOSTRA) ARRIVING AND TALKING TO THE PRESS BEFORE ENTERING 2.08 15. SCU (SOUNDBITE) (French) JEAN CLAUDE GUYAU FROM THE NATIONAL FARMERS FEDERATION (FNSEA) SAYING: 'I remind the whole of the French public that we are citizens, like all the others, we too have cars and heating and we too bear this extra charge. However before that, as entreprises, we have a net reduction on our income which is unbearable today. That is what we are saying. We are not asking for the moon. We are simply asking for help to get through this difficult hurdle (Question: what if the truckers lift the blockade?) If the truckers lift the blockade without a simultaneous agreement having been reached for the agricultural sector, farmers will continue their blockade.' 2.39 COIGNIERES (25KMS FROM PARIS), FRANCE (SEPTEMBER 6, 2000) (REUTERS) 16. WS/MV FARMERS SITTING AROUND A FIRE (2 SHOTS) 2.51 17. SLV OIL TRUCK ON ROAD AND BANNERS ON SIDE OF ROAD 2.53 18. CU BANNER READING (French): 'GAYSSOT, (FRENCH FARM MINISTER JEAN) GLAVANY YOU ARE PUMPING US DRY' 3.03 19. MV TRUCKER, MONSIEUR DANTON, TALKING TO OTHER TRUCKERS 3.12 20. SCU (SOUNDBITE) (French) TRUCKER, MONSIEUR DANTON SAYING "We are not satisfied, and I know that everyone thinks the same way as I do. We will have a meeting on Thursday and our survival is there, we know that. So we cannot go any further. It's not that we don't want to, it's that we can't go under the 50 centimes we asked. It is a necessity to save the businesses which are all suffering, mid to long-term, and some are in debt up to their necks, in a way that is catastrophic." 3.28 21. GV OIL DEPOT 3.33 22. VARIOUS TRUCKS PARKED INSIDE DEPOT/ PETROL OUTLET PUMPS ON THE TRUCK (6 SHOTS) 3.55 23. SLV TOTAL SIGN AND PAN TO EMPTY PETROL STATION 4.05 24. CU SIGN ON PETROL PUMP READING (French) 'NOT WORKING' 4.10 25. CU SIGN READING (French) 'RESERVED FOR HEAVY TRUCKS' AND PAN TO ANOTHER SIGN ON THE PUM READING 'OUT OF ORDER' 4.14 26. CU PETROL STATION/ SIGN ON PETROL PUMP READING (French) 'NOT WORKING'/ WS PETROL STATION/ SIGN (3 SHOTS) 4.22 27. SCU (SOUNDBITE) (French) LAURENT PHILLIPART AT THE PETROL STATION SAYING: "I am not in favour of the truckers' action. The price of petrol must go up because we must stop polluting so it needs to go up again and my views are in reverse of what they (the truckers) say. Even if it's a problem for me to find petrol, it must go up and diesel in particular, the most polluting." 4.37 28. MV/SLV PETROL STATION (2 SHOTS) 4.48 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 21st September 2000 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: PARIS, COIGNIERES AND DUNKIRK FRANCE
- Country: France
- Reuters ID: LVADK9E212AOCDVXS84D1UMADNRH
- Story Text: French boatmen have joined the truckers' blockade by
lining their barges across the river Seine in Paris as union
members reject an overnight government proposal.
Barges lined up next to each other to block the river
traffic through the capital on Wednesday (September 6), adding
their voice to the growing movement against high fuel prices.
The floating barricade, made up of about 30 barges and one
tourist boat, was set up near the Finance Ministry.
It was the first time ever the independent boatmen, who
number about 1,000 in France, staged a protest with boat
companies and tour boat operators.
Deputy President of the River Transport Union, Jean
Michel Leclerc, says their message is a simple one: high fuel
prices spell the end of their businesses.
'"The aim is simple. It's about the increase in fuel
which, as far as we are concerned, has gone up by 1.20
(French) Francs which is utterly unbearable for professionals.
It is absolutely impossible for us to recoup, from our
clients, such an increase. And it has got to the point where,
for smaller entreprises, all our profits have been eaten up,"
Leclerc said.
France's left-wing government thought it had reached a
tentative agreement overnight to cut the diesel fuel tax by
about 15 percent.
But by mid-morning, huge trucks barring freight hauliers
from entering or leaving the Channel port of Dunkirk were
intact and still firmly entrenched. Later, they had expanded
their blockade to jam strategic roundabouts, cutting off all
access to the port. Truckers on the roads all said they had
rejected the deal.
Almost all wholesale fuel distribution points around
France have been closed off by the truckers.
Under the deal, tax on diesel fuel for heavy trucks would
drop by 35 centimes to 2.22 francs (0.303 US dollars) per
litre for this year, backdated to January 1.
The full price per litre, including taxes, is currently
5.51 francs (0.753 US dollars), which, mainly due to taxes, is
one of the highest in Europe. Truck owners said this would
drive many of them out of business.
Before meeting with union leaders at his ministry,
Transport Minister Jean-Claude Gayssot defended his concession
to the truckers. Originally he offered only a 10 percent cut
in tax while the truckers demanded 20 percent.
But Union bosses, who had got word from the militant
barricades, said the government's tax cut deal was not enough
and that the blockade would continue. The largest French truck
owners' association, The National Federation of Road Hauliers
(FNTR) issued a statement after consulting with its members
who said they wanted to hold out for additional concessions.
The farmers' union, whose representatives also joined the
protest together with ambulance drivers and taxi drivers,
appealed to the public for sympathy and understanding, saying
all they are asking for is a little state help.
"I remind the whole of the French public that we are
citizens, like all the others, we too have cars and heating
and we too bear this extra charge" said Jean Claude Guyau of
the National Farmers' Federation (FNSEA). "However before
that, as entreprises, we have a net reduction on our income
which is unbearable today. That is what we are saying. We are
not asking for the moon. We are simply asking for help to get
through this difficult hurdle (Question: what if the truckers
lift the blockade?) If the truckers lift the blockade without
a simultaneous agreement having been reached for the
agricultural sector, farmers will continue their blockade."
As negotiations continue, the fuel protests are
successfully gripping the whole country and now threatening to
spin out of control.
The mood on the barricades is militant and the truckers do
not want to make concessions. Monsieur Denton, a trucker, said
the fuel prices are threatening their livelihood. It's a
simple issue of survival, he said.
"We are not satisfied, and I know that everyone thinks the
same way as I do. We will have a meeting on Thursday and our
survival is there, we know that. So we cannot go any further.
It's not that we don't want to, it's that we can't go under
the 50 centimes we asked. It is a necessity to save the
businesses which are all suffering, mid to long-term, and some
are in debt up to their necks, in a way that is catastrophic,"
said Denton.
The protests look like a chain reaction to last week's
victory by fishermen who blocked ports until they won a tax
cut. Business leaders, environmentalists and editorialists
have all criticised the Socialist-led government for giving in
to pressure.
There has been panic buying, fuel rationing and dry pumps
around the country. Some motorists are not at all sympathetic
with the protesters. One man, Laurent Phillipart, said the
increase in petrol and diesel prices was a good way of
combating pollution by cutting down on consumption.
One man said that he favoured government action to
increase the price of petrol, and diesel in particular, by way
of cutting down on polluting emissions.
"I am not in favour of the truckers' action. The price of
petrol must go up because we must stop polluting so it needs
to go up again and my views are in reverse of what they (the
truckers) say. Even if its a problem for me to find petrol, it
must go up and diesel in particular, the most polluting," said
Phillipart.
Taxi drivers have now threatened to hold a mass protest in
Paris, Lyon and Marseilles on Thursday and members of the
River Transport union say they will block a two-day Seine
River Festival this week end if the talks fail.
And this spillover of protests is putting the Socialists
on the defensive, raising tensions with their Greens Party
coalition colleagues and angering businessmen. All this,
analysts say, despite a thriving economy which is doing better
today than it has for decades.
Whatever agreement is reached between the government and
the unions, Gayssot runs the risk of not being able to satisfy
anyone as opponents from both sides are growing in strength.
(yb/sw)
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