(3 Nov 1997) Span/Ger/Eng/Nat
Giant traffic jams and fears of empty gas stations afflicted France on Monday, as striking truckers petrol stations clogged motorways and border routes.
Talks over pay and working conditions broke down over the weekend, prompting trucking unions to repeat the protests that crippled French commerce for 12 days a year ago.
The French minister of transport invited the truckers unions and the union of bosses back to negotiation table on Monday in an effort break the deadlock.
French truckers began their first full day of strike action - a bid to persuade employers to raise their salaries.
Massive traffic jams began to build up all over the country.
In Lille, in northern France, drivers from all over Europe fell victim to the blockades.
French drivers had blocked the A-22 road, a main route between France and Belgium.
Many of those trapped by the strike sympathised with the French drivers, but the cold weather still brought complaints.
SOUNDBITE: (Spanish)
"The problem is that I feel like a prisoner. I don't want to be here I'm very cold, we shouldn't be here".
SUPER CAPTION: Daniel Navarro, Spanish trucker
Though some stranded drivers did find a hot drink stand to warm their hearts.
It was not just the French roads which were affected by the strike.
Borders were also clogging up as a result of the blockades.
At the Belgian border drivers waited, rather than be trapped along the motorways.
Others sympathised with the French drivers but were angered at the inconvenience.
SOUNDBITE:(English)
"I understand why they want more money for what they do, everybody who works wants a decent wage, but we're not quite in agreement with the way they want to put it through. We like to work as well and we like to earn our money and to be stopped and taken as prisoner is not really the fair way to do it, is it?
Q: How long do you think you will be prisoner?
Ask me on Friday."
SUPER CAPTION: Peter Ellis, British trucker
SOUNDBITE:(German)
"The fact that they are striking is fair enough, when it concerns money. They should earn enough money for their work, but we should not have to suffer."
SUPER CAPTION: Joachim Plesner, German trucker
Many foreign truckers were stranded, having failed to make it back across the borders before the blockade came down.
British unions were to negotiate with their French counterparts to try to reach an agreement to let British truckers through.
But they were not hopeful.
Back in Paris, the minister of transport invited the truckers' unions and the union of bosses of the transport industry back to the negotiating table in an effort to end the dispute.
But for the time being at least the dispute looks likely to drag on unresolved.
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