Ferry Strike Ends: Marseille-Morocco Routes Resume as Summer Travel Peaks

The sailors triggered this strike to protest against the examination of the law against social dumping on the Channel and the Mediterranean in the Senate on Wednesday. This movement has paralyzed the activity of some ships of La Méridionale and Corsica Linea connecting Marseille and Sète to Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia, and affected the program of travelers who have planned to spend the summer holidays in these countries, reports La Provence.

Myriam, her husband and their three children aged 2 to 8 arrived in Marseille from Lille to board the Corsica Linea boat to Algeria. The family is stuck at the port of Marseille. "We went through customs so we can’t go out again. We are being held hostage," complains Myriam, who has no choice but to wait, until the situation normalizes. "They gave us bottles of water after 6 hours of waiting! People have fainted, there are pregnant women, elderly people... It’s unacceptable!" fumes the mother of the family who regrets that the Corsica Linea company did not inform them of this national strike movement.

For Frédéric Alpozzo, general secretary of the union and electrical master on the Corsica Linea company, the strike is justified because "our international competitors... offer more attractive rates and our companies are making losses. At this rate, we will lose our jobs!" The law in question, passed on March 28, "will only apply to the Channel," assured Stéphane Daguin, chief of staff of Hervé Berville, Secretary of State to the Prime Minister, in charge of the Sea, in a letter addressed to the union representatives on June 16. The unions and elected officials will meet in Marseille on July 10 for a meeting on the Mediterranean. For the moment, traffic has resumed its normal course.