Now Britons in France face rail and air travel misery

BRITISH tourists on half-term holidays in France face further chaos this week as a new wave of strikes threaten to disrupt all forms of travel.

At least a fifth of petrol stations in France are closed after the ‘guerilla-type’ industrial action over planned labour law reforms last week led to blockades of oil refineries and major roads.

And in a further blow, air traffic controllers plan to strike from Friday to Sunday – which is likely to force airlines to cancel and postpone flights, and could leave many stranded.

Rail workers also plan to walk out from tomorrow, and in Paris the Metro services will be reduced from Thursday, when all members of the CGT union – the biggest in France – are planning to strike.

The French trade association GNI said tourism had been ‘absolutely asphyxiated’ by the ongoing trouble, and that the situation was likely to get worse.

President Francois Hollande is now desperately trying to reach a compromise deal with militant trade unions before football fans pour into Paris for the start of the Euro 2016 tournament in two weeks’ time.

Protests against the reforms have included violent demonstrations that have often descended into riots, with police and public buildings attacked. Major cities, including Paris and Tou- louse, have seen anarchists and masked students take to the street calling for a general strike.

A spokesman for the Paris Tourist board said: ‘The scenes of guerilla-type action in the middle of Paris, beamed around the world, reinforce the feeling of fear and misunderstanding among potential visitors still anxious after the November 2015 terror attacks which killed 130 people in Paris.’

Mr Hollande has long argued that new laws making it easier for bosses to hire and fire staff are ‘essential’ if France’s unemployment rate of more than 10 per cent is going to be reduced.

But he is already considering watering down a legislative package that was forced through parliament earlier this month. This has been seen as a sign of weakness by those determined to bring down the government well before Mr Hollande stands for re-election next year.

As Mr Hollande contemplated the U-turn on the long overdue measures, French prime minister Manuel Valls said: ‘I don’t want to join the list of all those who backed down and wasted France’s time.’

Despite at least one in five petrol stations running dry at the start of the week, government spokesman Stephane Le Foll last night said: ‘There will be petrol. Things are getting better, although we need to stay on our guard.’