blockades
Articles about direct action using blockades, often of transport links.
Student strikes begin in France
Students across France are voting to strike to protect their right to an education and to demand improvements.
In the last two weeks 48 general assemblies have been held in French universities, 33 of which had more than 100 students and 7 more than 500. The main focus of the students' anger is the Pécresse law (on 'autonomy') which is seen as the first step towards privatisation of universities.*
France: fishermen strike over fuel prices
As strike action breaks out across France, fishermen in Brest have gone on strike protesting at the end of government fuel subsidies.
The subsidies were ended after a ruling by the european commission, almost doublig the price of fuel for the fishermen. The strike movement began on Friday when fishermen from Guilvinec blocked the fuel depot at Brest. this was the largest of the blockades, with some 300 fishermen present.Other depots: Douarnenez (Finistère), Lorient (Morbihan) and Donges (Loire-Atlantique) were also blocked.
France: petrol workers win bonus
The strike was launched on Monday at 4am by fuel delivery workers on the island of Réunion from the CFDT union.
The management of the SRPP (Reunion petroleum products company) gave into the workers demands after less than 24 hours. Workers won a shift bonus, which is approximately equivalent to an 8% salary increase.
Algeria: Mittal steel workers launch wildcat strike
8000 workers at sites across the country have downed tools in protest at management plans to sack 1200 workers.
Workers at Annaba Pont Bouchet, El Hadjar, Hussein Dey, Réghaïa, Blida, Ksar El Boukhari, Oran, El Khroub et Skikda have all joined the strike, shutting the entire company down, from the docks to the foundries nothing is moving. Workers are demanding negotiations between management and the union over the programme of job cuts which is supposed to begin in September.
Chile: miners and support workers strike
Seeing record prices for raw materials and record profits for mining companies, workers in Chile are demanding better wages and conditions.
At the Collahuasi mine in Chile, one of the world's largest copper mines workers have given notice of a strike to begin Monday, they are demanding an 8% pay increase whereas management has only offered 1%, they are also asking for health and education benefits and a housing stipend.
Bolivia: roads blocked by strikers and protesters
Thousands of striking miners from the Huanani mine have been forming road blocks since Tuesday to protest against government inaction.
President Evo Morales was forced to cancel a trip to Brazil due to this and several other protests.
Argentina: wildcat strike on Buenos Aires Metro
Metro Workers in Buenos Aires launched a 24-hour wildcat strike in protest at an agreement between management and their union.
The strike was virtually 100% observed and shut down the entire network, which is used by over a million people every day. The workers called the strike in protest at the salary increase negotiated by the rail workers' union (UTA). Buenos Aires was chaotic with traffic jams blocking most of the city as hundreds of thousands of people tried to use the roads instead.
France: university strikes and occupations against Sarkozy
After the election of Nicolas Sarkozy as President of France there have been successive protests each night, mostly ending in confrontation with the police.
The has been a lot of unrest in France and yesterday; at an general meeting (AG) students at Tolbiac in Paris voted to go on strike and occupy the university. Some 700 of the campus's 10,000 students were present at the AG. It is being reported that some 500 students occupied the buildings overnight.
Mayotte: Teachers strike over pay and conditions
Unions (FO and CGT) in Mayotte have ordered teachers to step down their protests after picketing led to massive disruption across the Island.
Mayotte, a small island off the coast of Madagascar is an overseas French department (DOM) as a result it is offically a part of France.
China: hundreds block railway line in benefits protest
Residents of Guixi in the Jiangxi province were angry at government plans which would see their wages and benefits cut.
The plans involve placing Guixi under the jurisdiction of the neighbouring district, which may mean a lowering of benefits and state wages for Guixi residents. Protestors blocked two rail connections for around six hours, including the heavily traveled line that runs from Shanghai in the east, cutting through Jiangxi to the southwestern city of Kunming.
