FRANCE: TRUCKER BLOCKADES

Описание: (31 Jan 2000) Eng/French/Nat

France was again gripped in the stranglehold of traffic chaos on Monday as truckers set up blockades across the country in a protest aimed at ensuring they reap the benefits of a shorter working week.

The protest comes just three weeks after truck company bosses caused two days of havoc with blockades at French borders to protest about the 35-hour working week.

Government concessions aimed at placating the freight company bosses, who say the shorter workweek hinders their ability to compete with other European firms, only served to infuriate truck drivers and trigger the new protest.

Barricades were put in place at some points as early as Sunday night as the truckers again brought chaos to France's roads.

According to the National Center for Road Information there were more than 60 blockades by Monday morning.

The government of Socialist Prime Minister Lionel Jospin had proposed to cut the maximum working week to 35 hours from 39 hours, in a bid to reduce France's stubborn unemployment rate.

The truckers want to ensure they reap the benefits.

The barricades were concentrated at border crossings and around some of the country's main cities.

Tailbacks of up to three kilometers (1.8 miles) formed around the central city of Lyon, as trucks blocked the city's main traffic arteries.

SOUNDBITE: (French)
"They should raise our salary first of all, we ask that the nightshifts should be increased and paid, we should have a contractual 13th month. We demand that this profession gets out of the Middle Ages and be a profession like any other."
SUPER CAPTION: Milorad Sugic, CFDT Union

At least four trade unions are backing the protest in order to strengthen their hand in negotiations on the shortened working week.

But the truckers' action did not receive the backing of all their foreign counterparts who found themselves caught in the blockades.

SOUNDBITE: (English)
"People want to work less and have more money, it is not possible."
SUPER CAPTION: Dutch trucker

The truck drivers' bosses held a protest on January 10-11, blocking trucks from entering France at the Spanish, Italian and other borders.

Their action brought them tax breaks on diesel fuel and permission to allow trucking employees to work more than 35 hours a week if they were paid overtime.

That infuriated truckers who drive only in France and who had been set to go onto the 35-hour workweek program before the talks.

But not every single truck drivers is keen on reducing working hours.

SOUNDBITE: (French)
"What do you want to do with 35 hours of work? We have a salary which is not very good, if we have to work 35 hours it is not possible. What are we going to do? We are not going to work on Sunday night? We are going to abandon the truck on Wednesday night?"
SUPER CAPTION: French trucker

The truckers are not the only ones up in arms about the shorter working week.

On Tuesday, drivers on Paris' underground, the Metro, are due to strike as are bus drivers and suburban train drivers.

French truckers are among Europe's most militant.

In November 1998, a strike disrupted France and jammed traffic with neighbouring nations for five days and in 1996 truckers stopped work for 12 days.

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