Riot police in France have used tear gas and water cannon to break up a protest blocking a key fuel depot near the southern port of Marseille, after pickets over labor reforms caused gasoline shortages around the country, reports Deutsche Welle.
Fuel trucks resumed business at the Fos-sur-Mer refinery on Tuesday morning after the pre-dawn police advance cleared strikers from the site. The operation came as prime minister Manuel Valls warned industrial action would not be tolerated, and that other pickets would be dealt with "extremely firmly."
"Enough is enough," Valls told Europe-1 radio. "I'm very determined."
Days of blockades at refineries and fuel depots have led to major supply problems for petrol stations across France. Union organizers have vowed to continue striking until the government agrees to drop a raft of controversial labor reforms.
"We'll see this through to the finish, to withdrawal of the labour law," said CGT union leader Philippe Martinez. "This is a government which has turned its back on its promises and we are now seeing the consequences."
The French government's reforms relax some labor protections and amend the rules governing the work week and overtime pay. Lawmakers say the changes will boost employment and create jobs, but unions argue they could erode workers' rights.