Talks between employers and unions to end the French truckers' strike ended early today with the unions split on whether to accept a management offer. One union representative said the CFDT, the largest drivers' union, would be consulting its members manning roadblocks up and down the country but would sign later today a draft agreement drawn up during the negotiations.
But Mr Roger Poletti, of the more militant Force Ouvriere (FO), said the proposals were unacceptable because they did not meet the expectations of the drivers. He called on the drivers to stay where they were and urged Transport Minister, Mr Jean-Claude Gayssot, to resume the negotiations later in the day "on a more serious basis".
The talks aimed at ending the strike had resumed yesterday amid fears that a solution to the conflict which has paralysed much of France and disrupted road traffic across Europe since Sunday will be hard to find.
Mr Gayssot had opened the new talks between employers and trade unions with an optimistic statement that there had been progress, saying it was "indispensable and urgent" that the negotiations reach a successful conclusion. "Unquestionably, things have moved forward." However, trade unions were sceptical of a rapid end to the truckers' action. The talks were adjourned again at the request of the main employers' group, the UFT, which said it needed time to consider a union demand that bus drivers be included in any accord and that employers honour a 3,000 franc (£400) bonus promised after a truck strike a year ago but never paid.
Mr Marc Blondel, leader of FO, had said he was "pretty certain" that his members would reject an agreement drafted during the previous night by unions and employers.
The Communist-led CGT union, for its part, in a statement released earlier yesterday had said its members, who were consulted during the day, had "massively rejected" the draft agreement.
Mr Joel Le Coq, negotiator for the pro-Socialist CFDT, the largest drivers' union, said members would be consulted today. He said that bus and ambulance drivers must be included in any accord.
Mr Blondel, whose FO is the third strongest union among the truckers, said that on the ground "people are not over the moon - far from it". The draft was "contradictory and ambiguous", allowing employers to do what they liked with drivers' hours, he added.
The comments came as strikers maintained some 170 roadblocks at strategic sites across France, including oil refineries, fuel dumps and ports, in the fourth day of their strike over pay and conditions.
Forty per cent of the country's filling stations were closed after running out of petrol and diesel, while shortages of fresh produce were reported.
Renault said it would shut down assembly lines for its Megane and Safrane models at its factory at Sandouville, in Normandy, because it lacked parts.
The draft deal hammered out overnight on Wednesday provided for an immediate 6 per cent pay rise for truck drivers and 4 per cent for other staff and bus drivers.
Under the accord, successive increases would lead to a gross monthly wage for the most experienced truck drivers of 10,000 francs (£1,150) per 200-hour month by July 2000.
The French authorities said they were monitoring the number of foreign truck drivers blocked in France by strike, and informing their EU neighbours of their trapped nationals.
A number of EU ambassadors based in Paris had requested such information, notably the Irish, Spanish, Dutch and Finish missions. See also Business This Week 1, page 2