French oil industry says all fuel depot blockades lifted

French oil industry says all fuel depot blockades lifted

2010-10-26 01:11:13 GMT+7 (ICT)

PARIS (BNO NEWS) -- The National Oil Association on Monday said that all blockades on France's fuel depots have been lifted after a series of strikes that caused a fuel shortage throughout the European country, local media reported.

According to France 24 television, the blockades imposed by the French strikers protesting against the recently-passed pension reform bill caused that up to a quarter of French stations ran out of fuel while the rest suffered from severe shortages.

Last week, President Nicolas Sarkozy ordered riot police forces to remove strikers from the entrances to the depots to allow trucks through. The protesters had been blocking the entrance to everyone who wanted to enter the facilities.

Also on Monday, three unions announced that they had voted to call off their strikes at three French oil refineries. They said the refineries in Fos-sur-Mer, Gravenchon and Reichstett would reopen immediately and restart operations as soon as possible.

Earlier, a total of 12 refineries in France were closed due to the shortage, causing the fuel shortage. The workers at the Reichstett facility were the first to lift the strike. The refinery, operated by Petroplus, will restart operations next week.

"We're showing the public our goodwill and that we want to continue to supply the region with refined products," said Jean-Luc Bildstein, representative of the CFDT union at the Reichstett site.

Before three out of 12 refineries voted to end their strikes, the French government announced that the fuel shortage costs the country up to three billion euros ($4.2 billion) and threatens France's economic recovery.

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