France: 3,000 gas stations close due to oil workers' strike
An estimated 3,000 French gas stations have had to shut down during this week due to strikes in all eight of the country's oil refineries, reported TeleSUR.
The new labour laws imposed by the French government have sparked major blockades at refineries by workers´ unions, with shortages leading to the closure of around a quarter of the country´s gas stations.
In an effort to counter the shortages, France has limited the sale of gasoline and diesel to $30 per customer, and has been forced to use its emergency reserves of fuel for the first time in six years.
The new laws imposed by the government – led by socialist François Hollande – make it easier for employers to fire workers and reduce the pay for overtime hours. Labour unions are demanding the changes are taking back and threaten with further mobilizations.
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