PARIS: Strikes flaring up in the wake of student unrest spread to new points in France today [May 17] and more workers adopted “cultural revolution” methods, taking over plants, locking up their bosses, holding on-the-spot strikes and meetings.

The manager of Renault at Cleon and Sud-Aviation at Nantes remained confined to their offices. Strikers occupying the Renault plant at Le Mans were supplied with food by their families. Bosses were locked up also at small private plants at Bordeaux, Bayonne, Caudebec Les Elbeuf and Orleans.

Seventy thousand workers at the Rhodesia-Vaise textile plant near Lyons took over the factory and launched an unlimited strike. Several strikes broke out in other areas. Striking workers occupied offices of the Naval Dockyards and workshops at Le Havre. They allowed women workers to leave. Telephones to the dockyards were not functioning and it was not known what had happened to the management.

Newspaper distribution in Paris was disrupted by the strike at Nouvelles Messageries, the big distribution agencies.

Air France personnel at Orly Airport went on strike today for an indefinite period and is occupying the Air France installations. — Agencies

Published in Dawn, May 18th, 2018