French Strikers Intend to Keep Going for 7th Day

French workers are set to continue their protests against planned pension reforms as a rolling strike enters its seventh day.

A lot of France's domestic flights are reportedly being cancelled as the air transport industry prepares for a day of action at the country's airports.

CRI's Zhang Ru has the details.

Passengers looked anxiously for news of their flights at Paris' main Charles de Gaulle airport, hoping they would not be affected by the strikes, stoppages and blockades that have plagued some of the country's airports.

"For the moment, according to what I know, the plane I should be taking is leaving on time -- at least it's expected to leave on time. We managed to get to the airport, which is already a good thing. It took a bit of time, but we got there."
Student leaders have also called for more protests ahead of a senate vote on the retirement age later this week.

4,000 petrol stations out of a total of 13,000 have run dry and police have clashed with protesters in several cities.
France's government has sent police to unblock three major fuel depots which had been barricaded by protesters.
A worker at Donges refinery says the blockade was justified because the strikers were fighting to keep the legal retirement age as it is.

"We have been blocking the depots for a week. The work mates don't feel good, we don't feel good at all, morally, physically. We are annoyed because they send the police because it was about keeping the legal retirement age."
　　
French Interior Minister Brice Hortefeux says the situation had become unacceptable, forcing the government to take action.

"Tonight we unblocked another three important depots, in La Rochelle, Donges and Le Mans. We did it because Western France is under the threat of a serious shortage and the unblocking of those three depots had become fully indispensable and it will enable the resumption of normal activity... we will continue to lift blockades as necessary because the wide majority doesn't have to be held hostage by a minority."

Meanwhile, French President Nicolas Sarkozy has insisted he will press ahead with plans to raise the retirement age from 60 to 62 and the full state pension age from 65 to 67.

For CRI, I'm Zhang Ru.