Fuel situation worsens as French labor law protests spread

PARIS, May 23 (KUNA) -- Fuel shortages and refinery blockades spread throughout France over the weekend, with about 10 percent of petrol stations now out of fuel and 75 percent of refineries unable to function properly, Industry and media reports said Monday.
The main Communist-inspired union, the General Workers Confederation (CGT), said on "France Info" radio that it will continue to block refineries and prevent fuel supplies reaching petrol stations until the government withdraws a controversial labor reform bill that was forced through parliament earlier in the month.
The law gives a little more flexibility on hiring and firing employee and curtails overtime pay in some cases, in addition to other reforms.
The French Union of Petroleum Industries (UFIP) indicated in a statement that there were 11,356 petrol stations in operation in France.
Other local media reports said more than 1,200 of these were out of fuel, causing delays and long queues at those remaining open in some regions.
In some cases, police motorcycle escorts were deployed to provide security for the rare oil tankers delivering in the north and west of France.
Last Friday, UFIP said that only 317 stations were out of fuel but that figure now has tripled in the past two days as strike action and blockades spread to six out of eight French refineries.
Last Sunday, Prime Minister Manuel Valls said that France would not allow itself to be held hostage by strikers in the refineries and security forces would be used, if necessary, to evacuate the sites of striking workers.
CGT union issued a solemn call to other industrial sectors to go on strike to force the withdrawal of the "El-Khomry" law, so called after Labor Minister Myriam El-Khomry.
A Union statement warned that the refineries were "on strike and not blocked" and said there was no justification to use force "from the outside" to stop a legitimate work stoppage.
Mass, nationwide protest marches have been called for next Thursday, marches that have almost become a weekly occurrence here and which sometimes end in violence between anarchist youths and riot police. (end) jk.mb