The main French dockers union has appealed to President Nicolas Sarkozy to halt government plans to privatise terminal operations at major ports of the country, reports Lloyd's List.
"It is for the government to prevent social cataclysm. Showing political authority also means saying no to employers who want to go too far in social deregulation," declared a union statement.
The conservative French president has been asked to act against the bill and ensure there are no forced transfers from the public to the private sector.
The CGT labour federation members have been striking every week with 24-hour work stoppages and are on go-slow at other times at seven major ports. They threaten to bring French ports to a standstill if their demands are not met.
The employers group, UMPF, says the go-slow has resulted in a 50 per cent loss of productivity. The existence of many small companies, especially truckers, was threatened and French ports, which are being bypassed.
|
