Striking fishermen lift protest blockade
By John Lichfield, The Independent, 7 November 2007
The President, Nicolas Sarkozy, was booed and insulted by trawlermen in Brittany yesterday as he attempted to resolve the row before leaving for a two-day trip to Washington. He tried to placate them, saying he was suspending all social contributions by fishermen and fishing-boat owners for six months. He has also asked the fisheries minister, Michel Barnier, to find a mechanism by which the market price for fish could be made to reflect the price of fuel.
France Braced For More Strikes
By EURSOC Two | Published: 05 November, 2007
What is it about French strikers and the English? Not content with having made getting to the Rugby World Cup final a misery for English fans, striking transport workers look set to disrupt the first Eurostar arrivals to Paris from London’s beautifully renovated St Pancras station.
A series of open-ended strikes by French civil servants and transport workers is set to make November the cruellest month for commuters and President Nicolas Sarkozy alike.