Fuel prices

Go slow, walk-out, blockade: oil price protests around the world.

Article published on the 2008-06-16 Latest update 2008-06-16 13:38 TU

Some petrol stations have run out of gas after a four-day tanker strike.
(Photo: Reuters)

French truckdrivers are blockading fuel depots and causing traffic headaches around major cities with a drive-slow protest. In South Korea, more than 23,000 construction equipment drivers walked off the job, joining a trucking strike that has left shipping containers to stack up. Some British petrol stations were closed for lack of fuel after a four-day tanker protest started to affect certain regions.

Self-employed people and small businesses in fuel-dependent sectors have seen their bottom line suffer due to rising oil prices, while employees have been hit by inflation. They've joined a variety of protests around the world:

*  France: Fishermen have been blocking ports since May. Onshore three of France’s largest truck owners' unions called a nationwide one-day strike. Trucks on the ring road in Bordeaux launched a go-slow protest causing giant traffic jams, but refrained from completely blocking roads.

French truckers clog highways around Bordeaux.
(Photo: Reuters)

 They were joined by truckers in the eastern Alsace region and near the northern city of Lille, as well as those blocking access to the Nice airport in the south.

In Paris, private ambulance drivers clogged the street outside the Health Ministry demanding a meeting to discuss their financial problems, while construction equipment operators parked their heavy equipment in front of the gates to a fuel depot in Lorient, on the Atlantic coast, demanding tax breaks on fuel.

* South Korea:  More than 23,000 construction industry drivers walked off the job Monday, joining truckers who have been on strike for four days. This increases pressure on newly installed President Lee Myung-Bak, after shipping containers were stranded in ports, and shortages are feared.

Construction workers strike in Seoul.
(Photo: Reuters)

The truckers' strike has had a major impact on exports and imports and has caused several steel and electronic firms to delay shipments.

The construction workers' strike will bring many building sites to a standstill, further damaging South Korea’s economy.

* Britain: A four-day strike called by Shell tanker-drivers has halted much fuel delivery. Shortages have been reported at more than 600 petrol stations and some have been forced to close. Talks between the union and companies contracted to Shell broke down on Monday. With the strike scheduled to end at 6 am Tuesday, the union is threatening to strike again on Friday and action may spread to other companies.  

*  Asian and European finance ministers expressed their concern over rising fuel prices after the Asia-Europe Meeting in South Korea. They released a joint statement expressing fears that rising prices threaten stable world economic growth and have serious implications for the most vulnerable populations. While expressing confidence that their countries could ride out the current crisis, they called for a speedy resolution to global trade liberalisation talks.

* Opec: Oil prices were down Monday after Saudi Arabia's announcement that it will boost production. The move arose from a visit to Jeddah by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon.

"The Saudis have always had this card that they can play in that they can actually put more barrels on the market if they feel that it’s overheating," Kate Dourian of Platts Energy Information Providers told RFI. "And I think we’ve reached that point."