Spanish fuel price protesters extend blockades

September 29, 2000

Web posted at: 7:33 AM EDT (1133 GMT)

MADRID, Spain (Reuters) -- Fisherman, farmers and transport workers blockading fuel depots over the high cost of fuel have extended their protests, worsening fresh fish and petrol shortages in Barcelona.

The Spanish government has signed compensation agreements with some farming and fishing groups, but others remained defiant and vowed to continue their civil disobedience campaign until the government takes measures to lower the cost of diesel.

In Barcelona, Spain's second-largest city, the newspaper El Mundo estimated that 20 percent of service stations have run dry, amid a wave of panic buying from motorists.

Fishermen have blockaded fuel depots belonging to the fuel logistics company CLH, which supplies 80 percent of the gasoline and diesel fuel to Barcelona province.

Protesting fishermen have refused to work, leaving much of the eastern and southern coasts of Spain without fresh fish for most of this week.

"The situation is precarious," Luis Villegas, vice president of the Fishermen's Guild of Barcelona, said on Friday.

"The government is offering misery, and until this is sorted out we will continue protesting one way or the other."

The government has offered a package including reduced Social Security payments and soft loans that have convinced two of the three main farming groups and other fishing confederations to end their protests.

But the Barcelona fishermen, the influential COAG farming group and an array of transport workers had yet to sign any agreement.

Villegas said the Barcelona group, which represents 550 fishermen and has wider public support, is demanding that diesel costs be held to a maximum of 32 pesetas ($0.17) per litre, about half current levels.

Other groups have demanded a reduction in fuel taxes, which the government has rejected as it seeks to balance the budget in 2001 for the first time in more than a quarter of a century.

Instead, Spain has argued that the European Union should follow the lead of the United States and release strategic oil stocks to boost supply.

Crude oil prices fell from 10-year highs of near $35 per barrel to about $30 per barrel after last week's U.S. move.

http://www.cnn.com/2000/WORLD/europe/09/29/spain.protests.reut.reut/index.html

-- Carl Jenkins (Somewherepress@aol.com), October 01, 2000

Answers

More turmoil and fuel protests in Europe/ Tut, tut. Don't think this is the end of it.

-- Uncle Fred (dogboy45@bigfoot.com), October 01, 2000.

It wouldn't surprise me at all to see this stuff flare up, all over again, in England. The anger at the Tony Blair government is running at an all-time high.

-- JackW (jpayn@webtv.net), October 01, 2000.

It seems odd to me that so many governments don't seem to understand that realease of oil reserves is no answer at all -- whereas steep cuts in fuel taxes would most likely help.

-- RogerT (rogerT@c-zone.net), October 01, 2000.