Police force refinery to reopen as strike persists
Source: Agencies |
October 23, 2010, Saturday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
SHOVING striking oil workers aside, French riot police forced a strategic refinery to reopen yesterday, aiming to halt growing fuel shortages as the Senate looked ready to approve the controversial pension reforms at the heart of the union protests.
The refinery at Grandpuits has been a bastion of resistance to President Nicolas Sarkozy's bid to raise the retirement age to 62. Despite the government's efforts to conquer union resistance, the prime minister said it will take several more days to end gasoline shortages that are taking a toll on France's economy.
The French Senate neared the end of a debate that has taken more than 130 hours, the second longest debate in 30 years in the Senate. Legislators - mostly opposition Socialists - submitted a staggering 1,237 amendments, but Sarkozy's conservative UMP party and its allies have a majority and dismissed nearly all amendments.
After yesterday's Senate vote, the final text goes back to both houses for final formal approval, which is expected next week.
Unions oppose a pillar of the reform - raising the retirement age from 60 to 62 - and have staged months of strikes and protests that have boiled over into radical action and scattered clashes.
Sarkozy had ordered regional authorities to intervene and force open depots, accusing the strikers of holding ordinary people and the French economy "hostage."
The Interior Ministry said the operation at the Grandpuits fuel refinery succeeded "without incident," but the CGT union said three workers were injured. Emergency workers brought stretchers to the depot, located 80 kilometers east of Paris.
Helmeted officers in body armor descended overnight on Grandpuits, confronting workers who shoved back and shouted union slogans as they sought to keep police from opening the gates to the depot, run by oil giant Total SA.
The refinery at Grandpuits has been a bastion of resistance to President Nicolas Sarkozy's bid to raise the retirement age to 62. Despite the government's efforts to conquer union resistance, the prime minister said it will take several more days to end gasoline shortages that are taking a toll on France's economy.
The French Senate neared the end of a debate that has taken more than 130 hours, the second longest debate in 30 years in the Senate. Legislators - mostly opposition Socialists - submitted a staggering 1,237 amendments, but Sarkozy's conservative UMP party and its allies have a majority and dismissed nearly all amendments.
After yesterday's Senate vote, the final text goes back to both houses for final formal approval, which is expected next week.
Unions oppose a pillar of the reform - raising the retirement age from 60 to 62 - and have staged months of strikes and protests that have boiled over into radical action and scattered clashes.
Sarkozy had ordered regional authorities to intervene and force open depots, accusing the strikers of holding ordinary people and the French economy "hostage."
The Interior Ministry said the operation at the Grandpuits fuel refinery succeeded "without incident," but the CGT union said three workers were injured. Emergency workers brought stretchers to the depot, located 80 kilometers east of Paris.
Helmeted officers in body armor descended overnight on Grandpuits, confronting workers who shoved back and shouted union slogans as they sought to keep police from opening the gates to the depot, run by oil giant Total SA.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
