Truckers join rail, airport strike, crippling French transport

FRENCH truckers have joined the national strike against the government`s delayed pension reform, blocking major highways, cross roads, oil refineries, bringing traffic to a halt, reports London`s International Freighting Weekly.

"We need those people who are able to make the government understand we won`t accept any old thing to will come out and do something," said Confederation francaise democratique du travail (CFDT) trucking chief Maxime Dumont.


With the continuous strike by rail and airport workers, the French transport system has been almost paralysed. An unrelated strike at the port of Marseilles is in its third week.


The docks have been forced to close, affecting the berth of at least 61 vessels, including 29 crude-oil tankers, 18 tankers of refined products and 10 tankers carrying natural gas.


Oil refineries have been badly hit, leading to fears of nationwide fuel shortage. Operations of 10 out the 12 refineries in the country have been closed by this industrial action, said the IFW report.