Striking Refinery Workers Cut Fuel Supplies To Paris Airports
Paris, France (AHN) – Jet fuel supplies have been cut to two Paris airports as refinery workers striking over pension reforms blocked major pipelines Friday.
Workers at the Grandpuits refinery east of Paris are striking. Pipelines carry gasoline, diesel and aviation fuel from that refinery to Paris.
Charles de Gaulle Airport, also known as Roissy, could run out of fuel next week and the Orly airport only has enough fuel for about 17 days. Fuel depots south of Paris that supply filling stations south are also affected.
Most refinery workers around the country are on strike. Members of the CGT trade union are protesting plans to increase the retirement age to 62 from 60.
Plans to hike the retirement age have met with widespread opposition from many of the nation’s unions. Despite the opposition and the strikes, President Nicolas Sarkozy’s government says it will go ahead with the reforms.
To deal with the fuel crisis, the government might tap into its reserves.
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