A strike by French dockers has brought container traffic to a halt at Le Havre.
The CGT union said all 1,800 freight workers in Le Havre and most of the 1,500 employees of the port authority have walked off the job to protest a major reform of the ports.
Under a law adopted in July 2008, France's seven major ports are turning to private companies to run many of their services in a move to make them more competitive.
Ferry services, oil deliveries and security services at Le Havre are not disrupted by the national strike, which was called by the CGT union.
Le Havre is France's second busiest port and the largest container port the country.
