No more concessions, French PM tells truckers

In this story: Hauliers hold out for more Offer initially welcomed RELATED STORIES, SITES

PARIS -- French Prime Minister Lionel Jospin says his government will not make any more concessions to truck owners who have brought the country to a virtual standstill in a protest against rising fuel prices.

Jospin said the offer of a 15 percent cut in tax on diesel fuel for heavy lorries, rejected by two out of three of the truck drivers' associations, would not be improved.

"There will not be any other negotiations. The government will not go any further," Jospin said after a meeting with Transport Minister Jean-Claude Gayssot.

Gayssot offered the tax cut during the second of two nights of negotiations with the truck owners. He signed a tentative deal, but it was accepted by only one group of hauliers.

VIDEO CNN's Jim Bittermann examines the protests Play video (QuickTime, Real or Windows Media)

French truck owners have jammed the country's fuel distribution system, blocking 60 of the country's 70 refineries and depots, causing widespread fuel shortages.

The largest group, the National Federation of Road Transporters (FNTR), which represents 15,000 haulage companies, said Wednesday's decision to continue the blockade was taken after consultation with local representatives who unanimously rejected the deal as "insufficient."

The FNTR said in a statement it had consulted its members around the country and they had agreed to hold out for additional concessions.

"The proposals formulated last night by the Transport Ministry go in the right direction, but they were deemed insufficient," the union said.

The union's decision came as independent river boatmen in Paris joined the growing movement of protesters which, as well as lorry drivers, also includes farmers, ambulance drivers and taxi drivers.

About 30 barges were used to block the River Seine close to the Finance Ministry in the east of the capital.

It is the first time ever the independent boatmen, who number about 1,000 in France, have staged a protest.

"We all stick together," Bernard Baussart, head of the independent boatmen's group, CNBA, said. "What we want is for fuel to be available at 1.30 French francs.

Jean-Claude Davenel, head of the river transporters' union, the CTF, said: "The rise in fuel prices is harming us now, it removes seven to 19 percent from the transporters' profits. What is at stake is the future of our trade."

The government's offer was initially greeted with some optimism by the unions, not least by Rene Petit, a spokesman for the FNTR union, who proclaimed "a certain number of positive steps forward have been made."

The protest involves up to 1,700 lorries and has caused large queues at petrol stations where supplies are running out.

Local governments have been rationing fuel as many petrol stations ran dry. Christian Rose, the national secretary of the UNOSTRA union, said the government offered a 35 centimes reimbursement per litre of fuel for this year, and a 25 centimes refund per litre on fuel taxes next year, among other measures. Alain Fauqueur, of the TLF union, which says the concessions could save hauliers around 15,000 francs per vehicle, said: "We are optimistic about the chances of convincing our members and we wish to do so."

The protest began in the early hours of Monday and is aimed at what are the second highest fuel prices in the European Union after those in the UK.

A spokeswoman for TotalFinaElf said 80 percent of its 5,500 petrol stations had run out of fuel or faced dwindling stocks.

In Nice, truckers blocked vehicles from entering the international airport and some travellers were forced to walk with luggage from outside the airport's entrance.

In Lyon, almost half the 150 petrol stations were shut, while the city authorities ordered that a further 12 could only serve doctors, ambulances and firefighters.

The FNTR's rejection of the government's offer comes as the European Commission is due to review options for alleviating the impact of the oil price rises at a meeting in Brussels on Wednesday. Gayssot has called on the European Union to exert pressure on OPEC countries to stop the rise in crude oil prices. Finance ministers of the euro currency zone states plan to discuss oil prices on Friday.

Reuters contributed to this report.

Pumps run dry amid fuel protest
September 4, 2000
French truckers consider fuel deal
September 6, 2000
Talks resume as French fuel crisis deepens
September 5, 2000
Britain tackles France over port blockades
September 2, 2000
France: A nation of strikers?
September 1, 2000

Oil Price Information Service
OPEC Home Page
Europa
Official Website of the Office of the French President: The Elysée Palace

Note: Pages will open in a new browser window

External sites are not endorsed by CNN Interactive.