Strike Cripples French Ports

Strike Cripples French Ports

Andrew Spurrier - Friday 26 February 2010

ACTIVITY at French ports was heavily disrupted today by a lightning 24-hour strike by port workers protesting at what they claimed was the use of force by the French government to enable MSC Cruises’ newest cruise ship, MSC Magnifica, to escape from the strikebound port of Saint Nazaire yesterday afternoon.

The 24-hour strike was called by the leading French port workers’ union immediately after the departure of the newly built vessel from Saint Nazaire on its inaugural cruise.

The ports and docks federation of the CGT union confederation was protesting at the decision of the local prefect to requisition striking port workers to free the vessel from the port’s Joubert graving dock.

Previously, it had looked as if the brand new vessel, which had been officially delivered to MSC Cruises by STX Europe yesterday morning, would be prevented from leaving Saint Nazaire.

The union accused the French government of being behind the decision to free the vessel, claiming that it had preferred sending the police to the port to get its way rather than addressing the claims of striking port workers.

It denounced the government’s action, adding: “We are faced with an offence of interference with the right to strike which is unacceptable. Citizens’ rights are flouted without reserve.”

Dockers and port authority workers responded strongly to the union’s call, halting cargo-handling activity at the two leading ports, Marseilles and Le Havre, today and causing disruption at a number of others.

Port workers at Nantes Saint-Nazaire went on strike on Wednesday to protest over the port authority’s refusal to meet their claim for compensation for the loss of their public service status under the government’s port reform.

They claimed that the government had prevented the port authority from discussing their claim.

ENDS

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