like the petrol parisians patience for strikes runs dry
Last Updated : GMT 06:49:16
Arab Today, arab today
Arab Today, arab today
Last Updated : GMT 06:49:16
Arab Today, arab today

After four others turned him away

Like the petrol, Parisians' patience for strikes runs dry

Arab Today, arab today

Arab Today, arab today Like the petrol, Parisians' patience for strikes runs dry

Tires on fire in front of an oil depot near the Total refinery of Donges
Paris - Arab Today

French estate agent Benjamin Pastor finally found a filling station that had not run out of petrol on Thursday after four others turned him away.

Like many other Parisians, his sympathy is in short supply for a three-month-long campaign by unions against the government's hotly contested labour reform.

"Absolutely not," Pastor told AFP when asked if he supported the rolling transport strikes and hardline industrial action that has hobbled or shut six of France's eight oil refineries.

Also in the queue for petrol at Porte Maillot in the capital, pensioner Genevieve de Maud'huy marvelled at France's capacity for industrial action.

"The French have an odd habit of supporting strikes," she said.

But she had harsh words for hardline union CGT, which has spearheaded the refinery blockades.

"The CGT presents itself as representing the people, but they are only three percent of the workforce."

The far-left union has 700,000 members out of an overall working population of 24 million.

Entrepreneur Hubert Brosson, 43, agreed, saying: "You're not legitimate if you don't represent the people."

"We are suffering the collateral damage," said Carine Zarkout, 21, an engineering student whose hour-long commute to central Paris has been made a nightmare by the strikes.

"Lots of people... are losing money every day," she said at an upscale market in the affluent west of the city.

A recent poll found that seven out of 10 people still oppose the labour reforms, which critics say are weighted in favour of employers and encroach on cherished workers' rights

But Pastor, 34, who depends on his car for his work, disputed the survey, saying: "I don't know who is being polled. If they call people's homes, it's people who are either unemployed or who aren't affected" by the reforms.

- 'Poor France' -

"Poor France", sighed Isabelle Slove, buying tomatoes at the market.

Employers "must be able to hire and fire," she said, backing the reform. "We need fluidity, to open the job market."

Key parts of the legislation would let companies set their own working conditions for new employees, allowing managers to cut jobs during hard times and go beyond the 35-hour work week introduced in 2000.

CGT chief Philippe Martinez dug in his heels on Friday, accusing the government of "generating a climate of hatred" and warning that the strikes would continue indefinitely "if nothing changes".

The vendor, 51-year-old Portuguese immigrant Eduardo Fernandes, agreed with Slove, saying: "If you have a problem with the boss you should talk to him directly."

Fernandes, who commutes in from a northern suburb, said the strikes had made him late for work several times.

"There must be other ways to defend your (workers' rights) without paralysing a country," he said.

Nearby, snack bar owner Guillaume Bouvelot said his turnover had suffered since the protest actions began in early March.

"It's not good for business. I support helping people but not people who do nothing," he said.

Bosses must be able to "let people go without fear of labour tribunals," he added. "They have to lighten the load on businesses."

Hotels and restaurants on Friday reported a plunge in reservations for the weekend, with a dip of 20 percent in western France and 15 to 25 percent in Paris.

These come on the heels of a significant drop in business since the jihadist attacks on Paris in November, noted Laurent Duc of the hotel industry federation UMIH.

At least some people are taking the fuel shortages in stride.

Bouvelot said a group of bikers who stopped in the other day found some humour in the situation, saying they were in "Mad Max mode", referring to the film about a post-apocalyptic world in which people fight for petrol.

Source: AFP

arabstoday
arabstoday

Name *

E-mail *

Comment Title*

Comment *

: Characters Left

Mandatory *

Terms of use

Publishing Terms: Not to offend the author, or to persons or sanctities or attacking religions or divine self. And stay away from sectarian and racial incitement and insults.

I agree with the Terms of Use

Security Code*

like the petrol parisians patience for strikes runs dry like the petrol parisians patience for strikes runs dry

 



Name *

E-mail *

Comment Title*

Comment *

: Characters Left

Mandatory *

Terms of use

Publishing Terms: Not to offend the author, or to persons or sanctities or attacking religions or divine self. And stay away from sectarian and racial incitement and insults.

I agree with the Terms of Use

Security Code*

like the petrol parisians patience for strikes runs dry like the petrol parisians patience for strikes runs dry

 



GMT 03:07 2017 Wednesday ,25 January

Health care veterans, pioneers awarded

GMT 05:44 2017 Saturday ,11 November

Business as usual as Hamilton dominates Brazil practice

GMT 11:08 2018 Thursday ,25 October

Russia to be at very high level at conference on Libya

GMT 15:00 2012 Saturday ,21 April

Nelly Karim: Egypt akin to \'Hiya Fawda\'

GMT 03:02 2018 Saturday ,20 January

Egypt's President Sisi says will stand for re-election

GMT 00:51 2017 Tuesday ,24 October

HH the Emir Meets Foreign Minister of Kuwait

GMT 05:42 2017 Saturday ,02 September

64 dead in clashes in Raqa province

GMT 00:08 2017 Sunday ,05 March

Desperate migrants escape Libya 'hell'

GMT 19:24 2016 Saturday ,12 November

Israeli air forces attack Syrian position in Qunaitera
Arab Today, arab today
 
 Arab Today Facebook,arab today facebook  Arab Today Twitter,arab today twitter Arab Today Rss,arab today rss  Arab Today Youtube,arab today youtube  Arab Today Youtube,arab today youtube

Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2025 ©

Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2025 ©

arabstoday arabstoday arabstoday arabstoday
arabstoday arabstoday arabstoday
arabstoday
بناية النخيل - رأس النبع _ خلف السفارة الفرنسية _بيروت - لبنان
arabstoday, Arabstoday, Arabstoday