Sep. 9 – European truckers, especially those in France, held up traffic yesterday as part of a protest against long working hours.
According to reports from Britain’s BBC, UK truck drivers arriving at major French ferry ports were stopped at entrance points and handed leaflets with the slogan “fatigue kills.”
The most serious disruption was in France, but truckers used blockades, slowdowns, rallies and leaflet campaigns all over Europe. A spokesman for the International Transport Workers Federation said many truckers drive for more than 60 hours a week. Drivers want a Europe-wide rule limiting the work week to 48 hours.
“This is not a strike,” said the ITWF’s Sarah Finke. “It is a demonstration demanding a maximum 48 hours a week working time for drivers and decent resting places for long-distance truckers.”