Trucks - continent

Lorry drivers have today taken a go-slow protest to city roads and motorways in France, as part of the ongoing strikes against proposed government pension reforms.

The French CFDT transport union told IFW that lorry drivers had blocked strategic points, such as motorways, roundabouts and oil refineries, with strikes set to continue into Tuesday (19 October).

'We need those people who are able to make the government understand we won't accept any old thing to come out and do something,' Maxime Dumont, secretary general of the CFDT's trucking branch, told IFW.

The industry association said that over 1,000 supermarket petrol stations had run out of fuel following blockades of depots in western and southern France, the BBC reported, although industry minister Christian Estrosi told French radio that there would be no shortages and that the government remained in control.

'There will be no blockages for companies, no blockade for transport and no blockade for road users,' he said.