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Oct 13, 2010

STRIKES * France - Dockworkers Join Nationwide Strikes

Protests cripple major ports, rail, air transport in Europe’s second largest economy

Marseille,France -The Journal of Commerce Online (USA), by Bruce Barnard -Oct 12, 2010: -- French Dockworkers Oct. 12 joined a 24-hour nationwide protest, crippling major ports as well as rail and air transport in Europe's second largest economy... Protesters are fighting the government’s plans to reform the nation's pension system by raising the retirement age... Marseille, the nation's biggest port by tonnage, and Le Havre, the largest container hub, bore the brunt of the walk-out as they were already struggling to recover from a two-day shutdown over the weekend in an unrelated dispute over port labor reform... The port of Marseille said 85 ships have been affected by Tuesday's strike, including 56 oil and product tankers unable to berth because of a separate stoppage at the nearby Fos-Lavera oil terminal which entered its 16th day Tuesday... Tuesday's strike also hit rail cargo traffic as union leaders at state-owned SNCF threatened to escalate action to include rolling stoppages if the government does not water down plans to raise the retirement age in France to 62 from 60... Around 30 percent of flights were cancelled at France's biggest airport Paris Charles de Gaulle, mostly domestic and short haul intra-European services, leaving cargo and long haul traffic relatively unscathed... Tuesday's strikes and demonstrations are larger than the previous two protests, but President Nicolas Sarkozy is vowing not to water down pension reform, one of his flagship policies...

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