French strikers block refineries

Industrial action in France against pension system changes continued on Thursday, with the focus shifting from transport — where services were improving — to the oil supply, as most of the country's refineries remain blocked by striking workers.

In some areas, motorists have been lining up to fill up their tanks, fearing that supplies might soon run dry.

Government ministers sought on Thursday to reassure the population that there was no threat of an imminent shortage of fuel.

"We have what we need for at least a month without major problems," Dominique Bussereau, secretary of state for transport, told L.C.I. television.

Mr. Bussereau and other ministers called on the public not to panic and only buy gas when needed.

Charles Foulard, a spokesman for the C.G.T. union, said the strike was continuing Thursday at 11 of the country's 13 refineries. Total, the largest refiner in France, said Wednesday that it had started to halt operations at all its French plants.

At the Donges refinery at the mouth of the Loire river, unions have already voted to continue the action until Monday, he said. Mr. Foulard also warned that workers might soon escalate the action by blocking oil storage depots away from refineries.

Yves Le Goff, a spokesman for the French oil industry association, declined to forecast precisely when shortages might occur, saying his group was still studying the level of supplies.

The Fos and Lavera oil terminals in the port of Marseille remained blocked by strikers Thursday and the city was also hit by the news that the low-cost carrier Ryanair would be closing its base in the city where it employs 200 people.

President Nicolas Sarkozy was unmoved, however, and members of his government said he had vowed Wednesday to stay the course.

Mr. Sarkozy said "it was a duty to carry out this reform and follow it through to the end, because it is essential," Nadine Morano, secretary of state for the family, told reporters as she left a cabinet meeting.

Transport disruptions on Thursday appeared to be diminishing, although commuter trains into and out of Paris continued to be affected. Subway and bus service in Paris was returning to normal.

In a statement, the national rail operator S.N.C.F. said on Thursday morning that its service was improving slowly, with high-speed TGV trains running at about 40 percent of normal schedules.

Transport workers at one of the main unions, the Confédération française démocratique du travail, have voted not to renew their action, according to news reports, although at least three other unions vowed to continue.

Students' unions repeated calls on their members to protest. The management of the University Rennes 2 decided to close the campus Thursday as student picketed the entrances to its buildings.

The Senate, which has already agreed to increase the minimum legal retirement age to 62 from 60, is expected on Friday to adopt formally a law raising the age of retirement with a full pension to 67 from 65. The reforms are expected to be definitively adopted by the lower house of Parliament by the end of the month.

Union leaders have called for further nationwide protests Saturday.