12 Nov 2003

Noumea's bus services should return to normal today after police end union blockade

5:29 am on 12 November 2003

Bus services in the New Caledonian capital, Noumea, are expected to return to normal by today after police broke up a blockade by unionists.

They had shut down the Carsud company premises for ten days in protest at the sacking of an employee.

But a director of Carsud has told RFO radio that the employment dispute will not be revisited.

He says his priority is to put in place again a service for the entire population, in particular the young ones who sit exams on Wednesday.

A union spokesman has deplored the police action, saying that is a new stage because the only means the directors at Carsud found for dialogue was to call the police force.