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| Dock workers storm Le Havre square over French labour bill | |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Thousands of dock workers have poured into a public square in the French port city of Le Havre and set off smoke bombs, as nationwide protests escalated against a bill that would loosen labour protections for French workers. | |
| As union activists disrupted fuel supplies, trains and nuclear plants on Thursday, a day of demonstrations around the country, the French prime minister, Manuel Valls, opened the door to possible changes but said the government would not abandon the bill, which would, among other provisions, make the country’s 35-hour work week more flexible. | As union activists disrupted fuel supplies, trains and nuclear plants on Thursday, a day of demonstrations around the country, the French prime minister, Manuel Valls, opened the door to possible changes but said the government would not abandon the bill, which would, among other provisions, make the country’s 35-hour work week more flexible. |
| The draft law, which aims to boost hiring after a decade of nearly 10% unemployment and slow but corrosive economic decline, has become the toughest challenge yet for François Hollande and his Socialist government. | The draft law, which aims to boost hiring after a decade of nearly 10% unemployment and slow but corrosive economic decline, has become the toughest challenge yet for François Hollande and his Socialist government. |
| “There could be improvements and modifications” in the bill, Valls said on BFM television on Thursday. He did not elaborate on what might be changed, and insisted that the “heart” of the bill – a measure weakening the power of unions over workplace rules – should remain. Withdrawing the bill was not possible, he said. | |
| Union activists and workers reacted with derision. Members of the CGT union, leading the protests, said it was too late to compromise. Many were angry that the government forced the bill through the lower house of parliament without a vote because of division in the Socialist majority. | Union activists and workers reacted with derision. Members of the CGT union, leading the protests, said it was too late to compromise. Many were angry that the government forced the bill through the lower house of parliament without a vote because of division in the Socialist majority. |
| “Valls is hardening his tone? Well, we’re hardening our tone too!” an organiser shouted into a loudspeaker at the Normandy Bridge, where 200-300 trade unionists and other protesters gathered to block traffic in one of many disruptions to roads around the country. | “Valls is hardening his tone? Well, we’re hardening our tone too!” an organiser shouted into a loudspeaker at the Normandy Bridge, where 200-300 trade unionists and other protesters gathered to block traffic in one of many disruptions to roads around the country. |
| After vacating the bridge, which carries about 12m vehicles a year, union activists spread the disruption to Le Havre, driving slowly through the town or briefly blocking roads on foot. | |
| Then the dock workers stormed the main square in front of the city hall, setting off multicolour smoke bombs and throwing some in fountains. The sounds of sirens and smoke bomb explosions reverberated around the area. | |
| Fabien Gloaguen, an activist with the Worker’s Force movement, said the government would have to back down. | Fabien Gloaguen, an activist with the Worker’s Force movement, said the government would have to back down. |
| Valls insisted the bill was “good for workers” and small businesses, and argued that many of its critics were ill-informed of its contents. | |
| In addition to loosening rules about the 35-hour work week, the bill makes it easier to fire workers in times of economic downturn, and weakens the power of unions to set working conditions across an entire sector. | In addition to loosening rules about the 35-hour work week, the bill makes it easier to fire workers in times of economic downturn, and weakens the power of unions to set working conditions across an entire sector. |
| Two months of protests escalated this week as unions targeted the oil industry, blocking fuel depots and refineries. The government has started using its strategic fuel reserves and forcing depots to reopen, but supplies remained patchy on Thursday, with long queues for petrol and caps on purchases. | |
| Drivers endured long waits to reach petrol pumps, railing against the strikes, the government and the overall mood in France. Petrol prices have risen noticeably since the protests began disrupting supplies this week. | Drivers endured long waits to reach petrol pumps, railing against the strikes, the government and the overall mood in France. Petrol prices have risen noticeably since the protests began disrupting supplies this week. |
| At the blocked Normandy Bridge, at least one pair of travellers said they did not mind. | At the blocked Normandy Bridge, at least one pair of travellers said they did not mind. |
| “It’s for us that they’re doing this,” said Jean-Luc Geraert, whose van was caught behind the makeshift barricade. Geraert, a 55-year-old industrial painter, said the situation would get worse if the government did not back down soon. |