FRENCH REFINERY AND PORT STRIKES began to lose steam after President Nicolas Sarkozy's conservative government approved a reform to the pension system on Oct. 26 and 27, and France's unions agreed to end uieir strikes by Oct. 29. The refinery strike had been in effect since Oct. 12, at one point forcing the closure of 12 refineries (all 11 of France's operating plants and one in Switzerland), while the port strike at the Fos-Lavera oil hub had blocked crude shipments to refineries since Sept. 27.
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