France: Riots Exacerbate fuel shortage, blockades continue

(October 20, 2010)


France’s fuel shortage crisis deepened, as roughly a quarter of French filling stations ran short of fuel because of a blockade of fuel depots by workers opposed to a pension reform due for a final vote later this week.

More than 3,000 service stations out of nearly 12,500 in France were out of fuel on Wednesday, according to the government.

The wave of protests - which drew at least one million people on Tuesday or 3.5 million according to unions - has become the biggest and most persistent challenge to austerity measures and economic reforms being enacted across Europe.

Labour unions have tightened their grip on key sectors of the economy with a ninth day of refinery strikes, go-slows by truck drivers and work stoppages at regional airports.

On Wednesday, workers opposed to a higher retirement age blocked roads to airports around France on Wednesday, leaving passengers in Paris dragging suitcases on foot along an emergency breakdown lane.

Finance Minister Christine Lagarde said both the strikes and the violence were taking an economic toll. "I'm calling on people to be responsible, in particular those who are having a roaring time blocking access and breaking things,'' she said in an interview with TF1 television late Wednesday. "It's serious for our country,'' she added.