French dockworkers are set to strike at seven publicly-owned ports Friday, extending a month-long campaign to protest government plans to privatize handling of containers.

The CGT union also has given notice to port authorities of further stoppages next week in the run up to a Parliamentary debate over the government’s reforms.

The nationwide stoppage Friday, coming after four weeks of 24-hour strikes, overtime bans and go-slow orders, threatens to worsen congestion at Marseille, France’s biggest port, and Le Havre, the leading box hub.

Ports are still trying to unload ships and cargoes held up by stoppages last week. The Le Havre port authority said container traffic has halved over the past week and Marseilles reports a backlog of 17 ships, including eight oil tankers. Le Havre-bound containers are being diverted to Antwerp and Rotterdam and Marseille cargoes are being offloaded in Barcelona and Genoa.

Container shipping will be hardest hit in the latest action, with dockworkers at Le Havre planning two staggered 24-hour stoppages starting at 6 a.m. Friday.

The government claims the reforms are vital to boost the lagging competitiveness of French ports and help reach its target of boosting annual container traffic from 3.6 million TEUs in 2007 to 10 million TEUs by 2015.

Dockworkers are expected to walk off the job at public ports in Dunkirk, Bordeaux, Nantes St. Nazaire, Rouen and La Rochelle.

By: Bruce Barnard