Public servants stage a strike

Public servants staged a strike in French Polynesia on 14 November 2008 over plans by the French government to change a retirement law that currently favors workers who retire in French Overseas Territories. The territory's court system, as well as port and airport customs operations were among the services affected by the strike. In addition, protesters surrounded the house of the French high commissioner for French Polynesia in Papeete, blocking him from leaving for a trip to New Caledonia. Reports indicate that support for the protests is not high among the population, largely due to the disparity in income between the protesters and the general populous.