France's gas pumps remain closed

Many gas stations were still dry inParis on Sunday, after protests and strikes over FrenchPresident Nicolas Sarkozy's proposed pension reform continued to create gasoline shortages and transport problems.

Raymond Soubie, an adviser to Sarkozy, told Europe-1 radio on Sunday that the shortages had eased but he acknowledged that a quarter of France's gas stations were still closed.

The hardest-hit areas were the west and the Paris area, he said, and there were plenty of gas stations closed in the French capital.

But one woman said that as usual Paris had emptied at the weekend for the school holidays, implying that the shortage of fuel had not stopped a lot of people from going away.

President'spopularity takes a hit

In a poll published Sunday, Sarkozy's approval rating fell to its lowest level yet amid protests over the conservative president's proposed reforms.

The poll, published in the Journal du Dimanche newspaper, showed only 29 per cent of those surveyed were satisfied with Sarkozy's performance.

That was down three per cent from September and was the French leader's lowest rating since taking office in 2007.

It was also among the lowest approval ratings of any president in recent memory, the newspaper said.

The survey of 1,828 people was conducted in person and by telephone by the Ifop polling agency from October 14-22.

Sarkozy has tied his political fortunes to the contested pension reform which, if it becomes law as expected next week, will raise the retirement age from 60 to 62.

The government contends the reform is necessary to save the money-losing pension system, but the opposition insists it amounts to an attack on French workers' hard-earned rights.

The demonstrations have brought millions into the streets, and open-ended walkouts by railway and oil workers have createdchaos for commuters and travellers.

Support strong for strikers

Polls have shown a vast majority of French people support the strikers as the protestsmove into their second week.

With refuse collectors in Marseille still on strike and 9,000 tonnes of rubbish piled up on the streets of the Mediterranean port city and its suburbs, the head of the region took legal steps to force some of the strikers back to work.

The workers are expected to begin clearing the rubbish on Monday.

Last Friday, France's Senate voted 177-153 forSarkozy's pension reform bill, which is expected to win final formal approval next week by both houses of parliament.

Sarkozy insists that with life expectancy increasing and France's debt soaring, raising the retirement age is vital to ensuring that future generations receive any pension at all.

Union leaders, who insist the reform hacks away at French workers' hard-earned rights, have scheduled more countrywide strikes and demonstrations for Tuesday and Nov. 6.