French Dockworkers Suspend Plan for “Dead Port” Starting on March 18

The unions representing French dockworkers at the major industrial ports said in an effort to ease tensions with the government it would suspend its plans for a “dead port” strike planned for March 18. The unions reported that government officials had been receptive in a recent meeting, and they hoped to make progress on a simmering dispute over reforms to France’s retirement policies.

Dockworkers and other port employees have been conducting a rolling series of strikes since January in a dispute that dates back to 2023 and the federal government’s plans for reforms in the national retirement project. The government of French President Emmanuel Macron pushed through controversial reforms in 2023 including raising the national retirement age from 62 to 64.

The unions are demanding that their industry be exempt from the changes to retirement. They insist it is a physically demanding profession that entitles them to special consideration.

The Federation National des Ports et Docks scheduled a strike for March 18 that was reportedly going to stop all activity in the ports of Le Havre and Rouen.  There were fears that it would include a suspension of the cross-channel ferry operations to England.

The job actions had varied since January ranging from four-hour stoppages to strikes ranging between one and three days. A prior action on February 27 stopped nearly all cross-channel ferry services for the day. The unions had vowed to intensify their actions in March with tomorrow’s strike to last for 72 hours.

After a meeting with representatives from the Prime Minster and key government agencies, the unions said the government was more receptive to talks and honoring its earlier promises. The unions had been arguing that the government was not responding to earlier commitments and not proposing additional talks till 2027.

The unions have scheduled a general meeting for March 25 to review the status of their efforts. Leaders while they were seeking to ease tensions it would be possible that they would initiate new industrial actions in April if the government does not respect its commitments to the dockworkers.