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Customs Officers Take Industrial Action
During March-April 2002, uniformed customs officers in France took various
forms of industrial action to support demands for an increase in their danger bonus
and enhanced pension conditions. Proposals tabled by the Minister of the Economy
and Finance satisfied the demands of the officers' inter-union committee, and
striking workers returned to work in most regions, with the notable exception of
Orly airport.
In recent months, uniformed customs officers - 9,000 out of a total of 19,500
customs officers - have been demanding an increase in their 'danger bonus' and
enhanced pension conditions. From March 2002, they stepped up industrial action
in an attempt to promote their demands. Their tactics included blocking ferries and
access to airports and border crossings, and closing down motorway toll-booths.
Their actions took various forms, including refusing to wear uniforms,
blockading trains, shutting down motorway toll booths and working to rule, as well
as more spectacular tactics, such as an incident in Dunkirk on 22 March, where
officers walled up the customs department with concrete blocks.
Customs officers consider their jobs to be just as dangerous, if not more so, as
those of police officers. They are therefore demanding that their danger bonus –
currently standing at 9% of pay - be brought into line with the 23% paid to police
officers. Customs officers are also demanding an increase in pension funding of
one year's contributions for every five years of service as 'compensation for
hardship' experienced in carrying out their duties.
The majority of regional customs departments went back to work following
the 22 April meeting. Customs officers at Orly airport voted to continue action
until at least 30 April, but to carry out their duties and bear their side arms.
(1500 symbols)
4.6.1 Decide whether these statements true or false:
1) Customs officers in France took various forms of industrial action to support
demands for an decrease in their danger bonus.
2) Proposals of the Minister of the Economy and Finance satisfied the demands of
the officers' inter-union committee.
3) Striking workers returned to work in most regions, with the notable exception
of Orly seaport.
4) Customs officers consider their jobs to be more dangerous than those of police
officers.
5) Their actions took various forms, including refusing to wear uniforms,
blockading planes, shutting down motorway toll-booths and working to rule.
Grammar Assignments
4.7.1 Put in the verbs given in brackets in the correct form:
1) If the officer assigned to the job is ill or on vacation, severe backlogs and
delays _____ (can/ not/avoid).
2) If the certificate is not sent in time, the business community
_____(penalize).
3) If he hadn’t climbed the ladder, he _____(not/ break) his leg.
4) If it _____(not/ be) cold, they wouldn’t have lit the fire.
5) I _____(give) John your message if I should see him today.
6) Those plants _____(not grow) if you don’t water them.
7) I would buy that bag if it _____(be) cheaper.
8) If she _____(open) the letter, she would have been surprised.
4.7.2 Put in the modal verbs in the correct forms:
1) At UK ports and airports, all travelers _____ pass through either a red or
green customs channel.
2) You _____ pass through the green channel only if you do not have any
goods to declare.
3) You _____be sure that your goods are strictly within the Customs
allowances and that you are bringing into the UK is not banned or restricted
goods.
4) You _____to go to the red channel or “red point” if you have goods that you
_____ to declare at Customs.
5) If you are a traveler arriving in the UK from another EU country and have
nothing to declare you _____ use the blue channel.
6) Whichever channel you are passing through, you _____be stopped by a
Customs officer.
Unit 5 Customs Control
Pre-Text Assignments
5.1.1 Practice the reading of the following words and guess their meaning:
frequent
confident
establish
provoked
reason
define
smuggler
contents
verify
container
legitimate
separate
check
minimize
5.1.2 Read the following words and their translation. Try to memorize
vocabulary:
ascertain
verify
legitimate
suspicious
customs allowance
make sure
concealment
X-ray
in the public eye
to be drawn into
arguments
hesitate
seek assistance
hint
worthy
tools
comprehensive
at someone’s disposal
выяснять, обнаруживать
подтверждать
законный, легальный, легитимный
подозрительный
таможенная норма
удостовериться
утаивание; маскировка
рентген
на виду общественности
вовлекать в спор
колебаться
обратиться за помощью
совет
подходящий, подобающий
орудие, средство, способ
общепринятый
в чьем-либо распоряжении
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