Faced with the anger of farmers, transporters denounce “unacceptable blockages”

Already in crisis, and blocked by farmers for several days, the transporters demanded on Wednesday January 21 “very short-term support measures” for businesses “bloodless”.

“Our companies are experiencing unacceptable blockages to their activity, both on roads and on logistics sites and around port and airport areas”, described in a press release the Union of Transport and Logistics Companies of France (Union TLF). The organization warns about “the dramatic consequences of this situation which has lasted too long”.

Blockades by angry farmers have stopped thousands of trucks in France, and caused numerous delays and additional costs for transporters. Several foreign trucks were stopped during the night from Thursday to Friday on national 7 near Montélimar (Drôme), blocked by tractors. Protesters did the same to highways and also emptied trucks carrying foreign products.

“We recognize the importance of the demands of farmers who are also essential for our country. However, we demand effective freedom of movement for carriers and the safety of people and goods as soon as possible”underline the carrier representative.

Fear of tensions Friday

“It’s starting to get a little tense”admitted to Agence France-Presse (AFP) the secretary general of FO-Transports, Patrice Clos. “I’m afraid there will be strong tensions on Friday because in general, it’s when the truckers return home, and if we stop them, things will go badly”he added.

For him as for Fabrice Michaud of the CGT-Transports, the government is preparing to issue an order to deviate from the working hours of truck drivers by authorizing them to drive two hours more per day than the maximum authorized to meet delivery deadlines .

A request from employers contested by the unions. “If there is a shortage of sugar in the stores, it’s not fatal. (Supply) is a little tight but that’s okay, it’s not a disaster”put Thierry Douine, president of CFTC-Transports, into perspective.

Union-TLF also calls for support measures “in the very short term”such as the spread of tax and social security deadlines, exemptions from contributions on working hours caused by blockages and the extension of repayment deadlines for loans guaranteed by the State.

For the Organization of European Road Transporters (OTRE), the priority is to request “compensatory financial measures because we are victims of a situation that we did not want”, according to its president Jean-Marc Rivera. Above all, he calls for the maintenance of advantageous taxation on diesel, with the extension of the partial reimbursement of the TICPE in 2025.

Beyond these immediate measures, the transport sector is asking “specific support to successfully reindustrialize (the) country and its economic recovery”according to the TLF Union.

“Like the agricultural world, it can no longer be the variable for adjusting the fiscal policies of public authorities”underlines the carriers, asking “the cessation of any project of new taxes, whether at the national level (TICPE) or regional level (Ecotax)”.