HOPES faded early today of an end to the 10 day old French truckers strike, as negotiations were suspended amid continuing disagreement on pay and working hours, union representatives said.
The government ombudsman, Mr Robert Cros, announced after the suspension that his mission was "over" and said he was off to "brief transport minister Mr Bernard Pons immediately on the outcome of the talks".
Representatives of the Force Ouvnriere and CFDT union, said that despite progress on other contentious issues, the situation did not warrant any easing of the read blockades paralysing the country roads, ports and border crossings.
"I think that unfortunately, the blockades will have to stay," said Mr Roger Poletti, head of the FO delegation. He said there was still no agreement on pay demands.
Mr Joel Lecoq of the pro socialist CFDT, meanwhile, said the main obstacle concerned working hours. The talks had made "a little" progress in this area but "all this is still theoretical".
"The fact is, we have reached deadlock but we will continue to search for a settlement," he said. "We cannot call for roadblocks to be removed under these conditions," he added.
Mr Poletti called for the government to intervene to break the stalemate over wages. He said the employers delegation had offered a 1 per cent wage increase plus a 1,500 franc (about £176) bonus, which Mr Poletti said was not enough.
However on several other issues, including pension rights, a series of agreements are due to be signed tomorrow morning, Mr Cros confirmed.
Mr Cros, who has chaired four marathon negotiating sessions since being appointed Sunday, said the signature was due to take place at 9.30 a.m. tomorrow.
The accords concerned in particular the right for drivers to retire at 55, union rights and full pay for all hours spent on duty, including those not at the wheel, he added.
Other sources said the accords also covered travel allowances, sick pay and a ban on Sunday driving for foreign lorries.
Earlier Mr Pons said the talks had made progress and were on the point of reaching a conclusion.
"We are making progress and we are on the point of reaching a conclusion," he told the National Assembly.
Progress has been made on retirement at 55, considerable progress which could lead to an apparently overall accord," he said, ad ding that a third key issue - salary levels - was still being discussed.
Before talks resumed, the minister said he hoped the salary issue "will be at the heart of the talks and that we can very quickly reach an agreement."
Earlier Mr Cros announced agreements reached on union demands for retirement at 55, and on working hours - two key demands of the truckers who have increasingly paralysed French road transport since Monday last week.
Yesterday they kept up pressure with some 240 road blocks across France and a blockade of fuel depots which has created serious shortages in many areas leading to rationing.
Meanwhile the independent Force Ouvriere - union warned it could call on train workers to join the action if the truckers' strike was not resolved. The CGT union had called for solidarity action yesterday, leading to disruption to rail services particularly in northwestern France.
Joe Humphrey's adds: Some 350 workers have been served with protective notice at Kildare electronics factory as a result of the truckers' strike and road blockades in France.
The French owned Telemecanique Limited, a subsidy of Schneider MGTE, has been waiting for essential deliveries from Europe since the dispute began. It is to decide tomorrow whether to lay off staff temporarily until the deliveries resume. "The notice is there simply as a protective measure. We don't want to be alarmist but if no trucks get through by [tomorrow] our workers won't be able to do anything next week. The situation is completely outside of our control," said a spokeswoman for the company.
The factory, on Maynooth Road in Celbridge, makes electrical, industrial control products such as heavy duty switches for manufacturing plants. It buys all its raw materials from French firms.