France's fuel supply crisis is not yet over, the transport minister has warned, while Prime Minister Manuel Valls has been quoted as saying he is ready to ride out protests at ports and fuel depots by strikers opposed to labour reform plans.
Valls has taken a tough stance against the hardline CGT union, which has spearheaded strikes that have shut down refineries and disrupted fuel supplies in the past two weeks.
Following a meeting between the government and oil industry representatives, Transport Minister Alain Vidalies on Saturday said the situation at fuel depots was improving though the crisis caused by the strikes was not fully over.
"In some regions the situation is almost back to normal. In other regions we remain attentive, but we cannot say that the crisis is over," Vidalies said.
Vidalies added that action to clear the blockades at fuel depots could be continued if necessary.
The government also warned companies against possible fuel price hikes.
"The instruction is to be reasonable in terms of pricing," Francis Duseux, head of the French oil industry federation, said after the meeting, adding that some independent players were trying to benefit from the situation.
In an interview with French daily newspaper Le Parisien, Valls said he was determined to pass labour reforms and he felt the protests would not escalate further.
"When a text (of reform) has been discussed, when it has prompted a compromise with unions, when it has been adopted in the National Assembly, I consider it my responsibility to see this through," Valls said in an interview published on Saturday.
The stand-off worsened this week as France mobilised strategic oil stocks for the first time in six years and employers said the protests were starting to hurt the economy.
Valls said he would not withdraw the text of the reform, which will make it easier for firms to hire and fire.
The government says the reform is crucial to reduce unemployment, which is now above 10 per cent of the workforce.
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