MINISTERS pleaded for a breakthrough as talks resumed between employers and French truckers' unions yesterday to end a nine-day dispute that could spread to other transport sectors.
Transport unions have called for solidarity action. The communist-led CGT trade union called for a day of action today to coincide with a two-day strike called by airline pilots and cabin crew.
The independent trade union, Force Ouvriere, said yesterday it was ready to step up pressure to reach "a good compromise" while railway workers in north-western France voted to strike from this evening.
CGT leader Mr Louis Viannet said it was in the interests of all workers and unions "to create conditions for the truckers to obtain satisfaction
Meanwhile, the truckers tightened their grip yesterday, forcing authorities to ration petrol in many areas.
Prefects in Rouen, Caen and Laval yesterday ordered petrol rationing in the three Normandy departments of Seine-Maritime Calvados and Mayenne as drivers stepped up their blockade of fuel depots and oil refineries.
Prefects have requisitioned service stations in several regions and in the Sarthe department truckers agreed to allow fuel to be taken to service stations from a blockaded depot.
In the Pas-de-Calais departement, remaining stocks of petrol were ordered to be reserved for the emergency services, and in the north around Dunkirk supplies were beginning to run out.
Petrol supplies have virtually run out in Bordeaux, south-western France, a particular target given that the Prime Minister, Mr Alain Juppe, is the city's mayor.
In Nimes, local radio organised a phone-in so that commuters could share cars to go to work, and on the French Riviera service stations which had not run out of petrol were limiting the amounts allowed to motorists.
Before dawn two tanker trucks blocked off the biggest fuel depot in Paris forcing 50 tanker trucks to turn back. The depot supplies petrol to most of the cut-price service stations in the region's hypermarkets, hospitals, police and the Essone departement's fire brigade.
The Labour Minister, Mr Jacques Barrot, pleaded yesterday for negotiators to reach agreement within 24 hours, following the failure of another marathon overnight session chaired by a government-appointed mediator, Mr Robert Cros. Mr Barrot said his role was to tell employers "they must take their responsibilities, but it is not up to me to apportion blame".
Negotiations resumed yesterday on the main sticking points - the drivers' demand for early retirement, pay increases and a reduction in working hours.
In the meantime, unions urged drivers to keep up the pressure. About 160 obstructions were in place in the country, including seven in Paris.
Speaking on French radio, a government spokesman, Mr Ala in Lamassoure, said: "We hope to find a solution very quickly."
Truckers yesterday continued to seal off the cross-Channel ferry terminal to all except tourist traffic and to cut the A22 motorway leading from France to Antwerp and Rotterdam. The A2 motor-way from Paris to Brussels was blocked at Valenciennes, northern France, and Route Nationale 2 between Maubeuge and Mons in Belgium was also cut.
Drivers continued to occupy a Renault factory at Douai, northern France, where workers were laid off on Monday for lack of car parts.
Meanwhile the government said it had made arrangements to provide compensation for losses incurred by foreign drivers and added it was striving to ensure the security of foreign truckers.
The foreign ministry said it had ordered local prefectures - which represent central government - to assist foreign truckers, many of them Britons and Spaniards, caught in the nine-day strike.
Last weekend 1,200-1,500 foreign truckers, including many Britons, were allowed to get through roadblocks with prefectoral help in discussions with unions representing the French drivers, it said.