French Unions: We Won't Pay For 'Failures of Global Finance'

[Panaconda]

French Police, Strikers Clash Ahead of Pension Vote

PARIS – French riot police tear-gassed workers trying to block a fuel depot and broke up a picket at a key refinery serving Paris on Friday, hours before the Senate votes on fiercely-contested pension reforms.

Police used tear gas to repel 200 demonstrators trying to block a fuel depot before dawn near the southern city of Toulouse as part of protests against President Nicolas Sarkozy's bid to hike retirement age to 62, unions said.

Police moved in a few hours later to clear the entrance to Grandpuits refinery, which serves the Paris region, after an emergency decree ordered strikers there back to work. Three people were injured, unions said.

Fuel distribution firms warned that their plans to resupply filling stations would take longer than planned, but the government insisted that as yet it has no plans to introduce petrol rationing.

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http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5hl3Cd8dfMRdTC9P4GpnnqfL3LOKA?docId=CNG.2f057538640f1e680daa7203d3609eff.2d1

[Imajika]

1. Isn't the government just going to raise the retirement age anyway?

I mean today is the vote right? Any indication that the conservative majority isn't going ahead with the planned retirement increase? My understanding is Sarkozy views this as his moment to break the unions much like Thatcher did in the eighties.

[laughingliberal]

2. They should be more like Americans. Roll over & wag your tail if a crumb falls from master's table.

:patriot: