French strike disrupts Channel ferries' Easter service

CALAIS, France — A strike by French ferry workers disrupted traffic on both sides of the Channel over the Easter holiday after entering its second day on Saturday.

"The strike is set to last at least until Sunday morning," said Didier Cappelle, of the CFDT union, thereby paralysing ferry traffic for much of the Easter weekend, one of the busiest travel periods of the year.

Angry employees have held up three SeaFrance ferries, the Rodin, the Moliere and the Berlioz at Calais since Friday. A meeting between workers and management early Saturday failed to end the industrial action.

Strikers who are protesting at salary cuts of 100 euros (135 dollars) are expected to hold a meeting on Sunday morning to decide on their next move.

Employees have also complained of a lack of crew for night crossings as a result of new working practices.

"Management does not adhere to an agreement it has signed," said Cappelle.

SeaFrance normally operates between 16 and 19 crossings a day between Calais and Dover.

The company said it had 23,000 reservations for Friday and 12,000 for Saturday, resulting in a loss of about 260,000 euros in ferry tickets and another 186,000-euro loss in sales on board for the Friday crossings alone, according to Vincent Launay, director of operations for SeaFrance.

However "solutions have been found for almost all of these passengers to make their journey with other companies," Launay said.

SeaFrance, which has suffered a fall in its freight traffic, passed plans in December to cut 482 jobs from its 1,580-strong workforce in the face of strong opposition from unions.