AT THE HEART OF THE ROAD TRANSPORT INDUSTRY.

Call our Sales Team on 0208 912 2120

French are formidable

7th September 2000
Page 8
Page 8, 7th September 2000 — French are formidable
Close
Noticed an error?
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.

Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

Love them or hate them, you really have to hand it to the French. No sooner had we suggested on this page last week that they knew how to get results than their fishermen went right ahead and proved it by blockading French ports and winning tax concessions within hours.

This week, it's the turn of French hauliers, who have shown with devastating solidarity how easily they can paralyse their country by blockading oil refineries.

As usual, British hauliers and other businesses dependent on trade with France have been victims of the associated costs and inconvenience. Many will feel justifiably angry. But in creating such turmoil, the French have put maximum pressure on their authorities to act quickly. What happens next could be crucial from the British perspective, because if the French truckers succeed in winning further concessions through this action, it will doubtless give fresh life to UK protest movements, if only by increasing the pressure on our trade associations to organise direct action.

However slick the spin from the RHA and FTA, years of talking have got us nowhere near the goal of a level playing field. The French fishermen have shown us that the French government can be persuaded to give concessions midterm, so why can't ours?

Protest action is, admittedly, a more natural strand to French culture than to ours. But cultural differences aside, many unhappy British hauliers on the brink of bankruptcy will be watching closely now to see how their French colleagues get on—and clamouring for a bit of serious British action if they prove successful once again.

Tags

Organisations: French government

comments powered by Disqus