Socialist policy is target of French work stoppage

Thousands of civil servants and dock workers stopped work Tuesday in the latest in a series of strikes over pay limits that have pitted France's big left-wing unions against the Socialist government.

Public employees belonging to a Socialist-oriented labor confederation joined Communist dock workers in stopping work for 24 hours. The stoppages, aimed at showing anger at a government decision to limit pay raises for 14 months beyond the end of a four-month wage and price freeze next Monday (Nov. 1), will be followed by a Paris public-transport strike and an action by rail workers.