French petrol blockade eases

Workers at three of France’s 12 oil refineries voted to end their strike on the 25 October 2010 in the first weakening of the fuel protests against President Nicolas Sarkozy’s pension reforms.

The easing of the strike raised the hopes of the French government that opposition to pension reform would lose steam once the legislation has passed its last parliamentary hurdles on the 26 and 27 October 2010

France24, 27.10.10: French pension reform bill faces final vote in parliament http://www.france24.com/en/20101027-french-pension-reform-bill-faces-final-vote-strikes-lose-steam

BBC News, 27.10.10: France pension reform bill set for final vote http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-11633178

ESO: Background information: Sarkozy sinks in polls as fuel strikes bite http://www.europeansources.info/record/sarkozy-sinks-in-polls-as-fuel-strikes-bite/

BBC News, 26.10.10: Students aim to bolster French protests http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-11624615

France24, 26.10.10: French pension reform bill moves closer to law http://www.france24.com/en/20101025-france-pension-reform-bill-law-sarkozy-lagarde-strikes-unions-economy

Deutsche Welle, 25.10.10: Protests cost France billions with pension bill set to become law http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,6149770,00.html

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