Truckers, youths join oil workers on strike

PARIS – French oil workers defied the government’s demand Monday to get back to work and end fuel shortages, stepping up the fight against President Nicolas Sarkozy’s retirement reforms. Youths and truckers joined in, facing off against riot police and creating chaos on the roads.

Strikers have blockaded a dozen French refineries and numerous oil depots in the last week as part of widespread protests over Sarkozy’s plan to raise the retirement age to 62, a reform the French Senate is voting on Wednesday.

Workers are angry because they consider retiring at 60 a pillar of France’s hard-won social contract – and fear this is just the first step in eroding their often-envied quality of life. Critics say Sarkozy wants to adopt an “American-style capitalist” system and claim the government could find pension savings elsewhere, such as by raising contributions from employers.

Sarkozy’s conservative government points out that 62 is among the lowest retirement ages in Europe, the French are living much longer, and the pension system is losing money already.

The strike by oil workers has been the most disruptive tactic yet – and in response, the Interior Ministry opened a crisis coordination center Monday just to focus on the conflict.

Fearful motorists have flocked to gas stations in panic and found many empty, while aviation authorities have been forced to tell short-haul planes coming in to make sure to bring enough fuel to get back.

The government ordered airlines to drastically cut back their flights into France today, when labor unions plan new nationwide protests and strikes across the public sector. Severe disruptions to air travel, public transport, schools and other facilities are expected.

Striking oil workers piled up tires and set them ablaze Monday in front of a refinery at Grandpuits, east of Paris, after authorities issued a legal order insisting that some reopen the facility. Workers said they would refuse, as curls of heavy black smoke wafted into the air.

Other employees and residents formed a “human chain” to prevent people from entering the plant.

Dozens of oil tankers remained stuck in the Mediterranean, anchored outside Marseille’s two oil ports, where workers have been on strike for more than three weeks to protest a planned port reform as well as the retirement changes.

Prime Minister Francois Fillon pledged Sunday to do what’s necessary to prevent fuel shortages, saying the government won’t allow such shortages to hurt the French economy. The head of France’s petroleum industry body said fuel reserves were “enough to keep us going for a few weeks.”