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French Unions Plan Strikes to Disrupt Trains, Ports, Flights


Workers on strike are evacuated by French riot policemen as they block the access to an oil depot near the Total refinery of Donges, western France, to protest against the government's planned labor law reforms on May 27, 2016.
Workers on strike are evacuated by French riot policemen as they block the access to an oil depot near the Total refinery of Donges, western France, to protest against the government's planned labor law reforms on May 27, 2016.

Travelers beware: French labor unions plan a string of June strikes that will target trains, the Paris subway system, ports and possibly airports.

Unions are tapping nationwide anger over a labor bill that would make it easier for employers to fire workers and lengthen the working week.

The planned walkouts starting Tuesday on train services coincide with the run-up to the month-long European soccer championship, which begins June 10 and is expected to draw 2.5 million people to stadiums around France.

Unions have staged strikes this year that disrupted transportation networks, but typically only a minority of staff participates.

Workers also have blocked fuel supplies in recent days, causing gasoline shortages.

Picketers had been blocking an oil depot near the southern port of Marseille but police ended that protest Monday.

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