French port union warns of possible strike in March

PARIS (Reuters) – France’s port and dock union, part of the CGT federation, on Wednesday said it would call a 48-hour strike unless the public port authorities agreed to start negotiations soon.

“We ask for a meeting to start negotiations during the week of March 3-7,” the union said in a letter to the port authorities.


“Without a response…we commit to take a 48-hour strike action on March 11-12, 2008,” the CGT added.
The French government said last month it will privatise the loading activities of seven out of nine public ports as part of a reform plan to be carried out in the spring.

… Staff at Marseille’s Port Autonome (PAM), which houses the 115,000 barrels-per-day Fos-Lavera oil hub, have held several strikes in the last couple of years, causing disruption to refining and other port activities.

An 18-day strike at the terminal last year threatened to shut down some refineries and cause a fuel shortage in southeastern France.

Reuters