From: "Curtis Price" <cansv-AT-igc.apc.org>
Date:          Sat, 4 Oct 1997 10:18:23 +0000
Subject: AUT: (Fwd) French shipyard workers march in jobs protest


------- Forwarded Message Follows -------
Date:          Thu, 2 Oct 1997 17:31:45 -0700
From:          NewsHound <NewsHound-AT-hound.com>

Reply-to:      NewsHound-AT-hound.com
Subject:       French shipyard workers march in jobs protest



NewsHound article from "STRIKES" hound, score "68."


Posted at 11:33 a.m. PDT Thursday, October 2, 1997
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French shipyard >>workers<< march in jobs protest



BREST, France (Reuter) - Several thousand shipyard >>workers<< marched
through the western port city of Brest Thursday to protest against defense
industry cuts expected to cause widespread job losses.

No incidents were reported as the demonstration began but tempers were
short in the city where the town hall is occupied by several dozen
>>workers<< who ransacked the mayor's private office Wednesday.

>>Trade<< >>unions<< predict about 1,500 jobs will be cut at the navy
shipyards and among defense subcontractors as a result of the new draft
defense budget which has included sweeping cuts in arms purchases.

Protesters first took over the city hall Tuesday and broke into the mayor's
office Wednesday evening to dump files on the floor and overturn furniture.
They burned some of his office furniture on an adjoining terrace.

The >>workers<< say a government job cut schedule, which foresees early
retirement at 54 with a transition period of 10 months, was too short.

"The job outlook in Brest is very bad and the >>workers<< are fed up,"
Mayor Pierre Maille told Reuters. "We've been waiting for months to hear
what kind of accompanying measures are planned" for those laid off.

Local trade union officials say about a third of the town's 170,000
inhabitants are part of families linked to the military. Brest shipyards
have no major orders for 1999 or 2000 after they deliver the aircraft
carrier Charles de Gaulle.





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