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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Tuesday, November 26, 2002

Striking Truckers Stall French Traffic

Truckers blockaded dozens of highways throughout France on Monday in a protest over pay, but the roadblocks came down by the day's end as police stepped in to keep traffic running smoothly.


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Truckers blockaded dozens of highways throughout France on Monday in a protest over pay, but the roadblocks came down by the day's end as police stepped in to keep traffic running smoothly.

Several protesters were taken in for questioning, and truckers complained that police threatened to take away their drivers' licenses if they did not back down.

At the protest's high point, about 36 blockades were set up. Turnout was lower than expected: When the first roadblocks went up Sunday, union leaders said they were ready to erect as many as 80 nationwide.

Though roads were clear by evening, unions said they were asking truckers to repeat the operation on Tuesday.

Four smaller unions accepted a contract proposal and withdrew from the protest, apparently blunting its impact. Few regions reported major delays.

It was too early to tell what the consequences would be for European trade. France is a major artery for deliveries of goods from Britain, Spain and Portugal to the rest of Europe.

Authorities have said they would not allow sensitive sites to be blockaded, and riot police took up positions at several oil refineries.

As a precaution, regional authorities in Normandy ordered temporary rationing of gasoline on Monday, limiting motorists to purchases of no more than 5.3 gallons per car and 13.2 gallons per truck, officials said.

The government has vowed not to let the blockades cripple France and damage an already fragile economy.

Protest-friendly France is no stranger to massive roadway logjams caused by striking truckers. Blockades by truckers in the winter of 1996-97 nearly brought France's roads to a standstill for two weeks, causing economic havoc.

Source: Agencies








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