DEMONSTRATORS WITH BANNERS; POLICE; POLICE DISPERSE CROWD; PANPHLETS; DEMONSTRATORS.




Initials PK/V/PN/ES



Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH WORKERS, WHO ARE ON STRIKE IN PROTEST AT UNFULFILLED DEMANDS, TODAY (FRIDAY), TOOK PART IN A DEMONSTRATION IN PARIS TO PUBLICISE THEIR CAUSE. THE WORKERS ARE MEMBERS OF 30 UNIONS INVOLVED IN SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY.

MORE THAN 100,000 RESEARCH WORKERS ARE TAKING PART IN THE NATIONAL STRIKE -- THE MOST EXTENSIVE HELD BY FRENCH SCIENTISTS.

THE RESEARCHERS CLAIM THAT THEIR DEMANDS TO THE FRENCH PRESIDENT, M. GEORGES POMPIDOU, AND THE MINISTRY OF RESEARCH HAVE GONE UNHEEDED.

THEY CLAIM THAT CREDITS HAVE BEEN CUT AND THAT THEIR WORK CAN NO LONGER BE PROPERLY CARRIED OUT.

BECAUSE OF CUTS, WORKING CONDITIONS HAVE BECOME DIFFICULT, THEY SAY. MATERIALS REQUIRED FOR EXPERIMENTS AND RESEARCH WORK CAN NO LONGER BE BOUGHT.

THE RESEARCHERS CLAIM THAT WITHOUT AID, NO NEW PROJECTS CAN BE STARTED WITHOUT AFFECTING THOSE ALREADY UNDER WAY.

TODAY'S DEMONSTRATION DREW A LARGE CROWD OF ONLOOKERS, BUT POLICE WERE NOT CALLED ON TO DO ANY MORE THAN KEEP THE CROWDS MOVING.