Strikes cause Paris airports fuel shortage

Описание

<p> Paris airports are facing a possible fuel shortage as strike action against pension reform continues. </p><p> Workers at all 12 of France's fuel producing refineries are on strike after two plants owned by Exxon Mobil and Petroplus voted to join the protest on Friday, according to a union coordinator at oil company Total SA. </p><p> This is not only affecting the supply of fuel to gas stations but also to main airports. </p><p> Orly airport (Paris South) is thought to still have fuel reserves to last more than a week, but the main Parisian airport Roissy - Charles de Gaulle might run out of fuel by the end of the weekend. </p><p> Flight activity at both airports was unaffected as of Saturday morning, with flights running mostly on time. </p><p> Some passengers showed little concern about a possible fuel shortage, and seemed to think a solution would be found before the situation becomes critical. </p><p> Saturday is a national demonstration day in France, with millions of people expected to protest against the pension reform in Paris and the main French cities. </p><p> French students and labour unions see President Nicolas Sarkozy's pension reform - raising the retirement age from 60 to 62 - as an attack on their well-deserved social protections. </p><p> The government says it is the only way to save the money-draining pension system and insists that people have to work longer because they are living longer. </p><p> The Education Ministry said 306 high schools were affected to various degrees by strikes on Friday, down from 342 on Thursday. There are around 4,300 high schools in France. </p><p> While the protesting students won't reach retirement age for decades, the government is keeping a close eye on their rallies because student protests have brought down major government reforms in the past. </p><p> Several French labour unions also announced another round of nationwide demonstrations next Tuesday - in addition to the planned street protests throughout the country expected on Saturday. </p>