French drivers plan more blocks Farmers stop
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• Demonstrations involving around 2,000 French truck drivers are threatening further misery for international hauliers who are already counting the cost of two days of blockades last week. The French CFDT and FO unions plan days of action on 31 January and 1 February in protest at an agreement reached with employers over a shorter working week.
Concessions were granted by the French transport minister following last week's blockades organised by employers over the proposed introduction of a 35-hour week for drivers—the action left thousands of British trucks stranded at French border crossings. Mike Freeman. head of international affairs for the Road Haulage Association, describes the action as a disgrace. "The police just totally ignored everything as usual," he says. "We want the British government to press the French government about claims for compensation."
But the Freight Transport Association says settling any claims would probably be a very drawn out process, particularly as advance warning about the protests was given.
Jonathan Todd, spokesman for the European Commission's internal market department, says that since the last series of widespread blockades in
France. in November 1997, a new EC regulation has been introduced which means member states must ensure the free movement of goods during industrial action. The French government informed his department of the measures it had taken, which included reminding police that they could withdraw driving licences from anyone stopping traffic without authority.
Todd adds that the French government reported 85 roadblocks on the first day of last week's protest and 60 on the second. This compared with around 200 in 1997.
Stephan Levesque of the French haulage association FNTR says the names of some protesters were taken by police. We are asking the ministry of transport not to take them to court because it is a constitutional right to demonstrate," he adds.
The agreement over the working week includes allowing long-distance drivers to work up to 220 hours a month and paying overtime to drivers after 35 hours instead of the current 39 hours. French hauliers also won concessions over a proposed 3p/litre increase in diesel which includes more than doubling tax rebates on fuel,