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June 10, 2016

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Double trouble for Euro 2016

Source: Agencies | June 10, 2016, Friday | Print Edition

WITH the stench of rotting garbage wafting through Paris and continued disruption on the railways, France’s government yesterday slammed workers who persisted with strikes on the eve of the Euro 2016 soccer tournament.

One hardline union warned that walkouts could make it hard for fans to reach France’s opening match against Romania today, while protests in the north and west of the country briefly jammed some main roads. A pre-dawn picket blocked access to France’s biggest wholesale food market.

“Some people just don’t give a damn that their country is about to host a big event which creates jobs and huge economic benefits,” said Sports Minister Thierry Braillard.

As millions of foreign visitors and soccer fans prepared for the monthlong tournament, garbage piled up on the streets in Paris and Marseille, which will host four matches including England’s clash with Russia tomorrow.

Workers were keeping waste plants at a standstill, despite a pledge by Paris’s mayor to get the garbage cleared.

Just over 24 hours before the opening match of Euro 2016, a train driver representative warned that travel to the 80,000-capacity Stade de France could be thrown into chaos on an urban commuter line known as the RER D. The line usually ferries tens of thousands of fans to the site from inner Paris. “The Euros are here and let me tell you this, it’s going to be hard to take the RER D on Friday,” said Fabien Villedieu.

Meanwhile, pilots at Air France, dissatisfied with the result of marathon pay negotiations, which broke down yesterday, stuck to their plans for a four-day strike due to start tomorrow, when an estimated 2 million foreign fans will be arriving in earnest.

The situation is reminiscent of 1998, when Air France pilots grounded planes for 10 days ahead of the World Cup hosted by France and a last-minute solution was only found on the day the tournament begun.

President Francois Hollande has refused to back down on the unions’ demands to withdraw labor reforms, arguing the measures are necessary to cut unemployment and make it easier for companies to take on new staff and fire them in a downturn.

Environment Minister Segolene Royal appealed to unions to end their disruption, warning they were endangering the image of France.

“France’s pride is at stake,” Royal said. “Let’s not harm France’s capacity to organise global events.”

France has mustered up to 90,000 police and private guards to provide security for the soccer tournament. The country remains a top target for the Islamic State group and warnings from the United States and Britain that the tournament could be a target have only added to the sense of nervousness.

The November 13 carnage in Paris, when 130 people died, began at the Stade de France with three suicide bombers blowing themselves up outside the stadium during a France-Germany game. The same stadium will host today’s opening match and the final will also be played there on July 10.

Among a host of new security measures, a perimeter fence has been added to allow more security searches of spectators.

Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve earlier confirmed that 300 people had been barred from serving in the private security teams after vetting showed they had been radicalized.

The arrest of a Frenchman with alleged far-right sympathies in possession of an arsenal of weapons in Ukraine on Monday caused new jitters.

Ukraine said the 25-year-old, identified as Gregoire Moutaux, was planning to attack locations including mosques and synagogues before and during the tournament.

German defender Jerome Boateng said on Wednesday he was banning his family from visiting stadiums during the tournament because he was concerned for their safety.

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