Port strikes in France to disrupt rail freight flows

Docker and port worker unions at France’s major ports have begun a programme of industrial action which began last month and is set to continue intermittently throughout February in protest to state pension reform. Among the ports affected are Le Havre and Marseille, the country’s two biggest maritime gateways for container traffic which also serve as hubs for a number of rail freight services.

Dockers and port workers led by the militant CGT union staged a 48-hour national strike on 30 and 31 January which was preceded by four-hour walkouts on 27 and 29 January. Walkouts are also planned for 4, 6,…