Strikes are continuing across France today in protest at the Sarkozy government’s plans to reform the pension system, affecting members of the fresh produce industry hoping to attend the country’s leading agricultural exhibition, Sial.
This morning, justice minister Michèle Alliot-Marie vowed to be firm with those resorting to violence, a reference to yesterday’s protests, which saw cars being burnt and bus stops vandalised in Nanterre, in the western suburbs of Paris.
Yesterday, those attending the second day of Sial faced major disruptions getting to and from the Parc des Expositions, located north of Paris.
Many exhibitors expressed concern that few visitors would make it to the exhibition today, given cancellations to RER and Metro train services.
Jean-Baptiste Lede of Import Direct Service (IDS) told Fruitnet.com: “It looks like Tuesday could be a non-event due to the strikes. However, we are happy with the number of visitors we have had so far. It has been a very busy event for us.”
Fears that the protests might continue beyond tomorrow’s likely passing of the bill were eased by comments made by the CGC union.
'If the bill is adopted as it is, we are not going to bring people out into the street for nothing,' the CGC’s Carole Couvert said.
However, the leading CGT union insisted that nobody could predict when, how or if the movement would come to an end.
After all, the strikes continue to enjoy considerable public support. One poll printed in Paris-based newspaper Le Parisien showed that 71 per cent of people remained sympathetic to the strike.
Frédéric Girard, marketing director at banana supplier UGPBAN, told Fruitnet.com that, although staff had struggled to reach the Paris head office today, the strikes had not yet succeeded in disrupting supplies of bananas.
“From the information we have, there has been no impact – neither from the strikes, nor from the protests,” he said. “Our bananas mostly come into the port of Dunkirk, where all the dockers are carrying on working as usual. Perhaps later there will be problems related to fuel shortages, but not at the moment.”
