Long Queues At Petrol Sations Following Union Strike

On 14 April 2010 the National Organization of Petroleum Employees (ONEP) began a strike to protest labour industry regulations. The union’s approximately 5,000 members are demanding that the government change laws governing the status of foreign workers because they believe that employers are increasingly hiring foreign workers to fill open positions at the union members' expense. The strike began at midnight on 14 April and will continue indefinitely until the government addresses the workers’ demands. The strike has already prompted long queues at filling stations in Libreville, and authorities believe that the labour action could also cause unrest if rationing measures are put in place.