France paralyzed by strike action
Source: Agencies |
October 14, 2010, Thursday
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FRENCH commuters fought their way onto subways and buses yesterday as an open-ended strike against President Nicolas Sarkozy's plan to raise the retirement age to 62 entered its second day.
About 1.2 million people marched in nationwide protests against the pension reform on Tuesday, according to police - the largest turnout in four national demonstrations over the past five weeks. Unions put the figure at 3.5 million.
The strong turnout could be a signal of rising momentum for the movement taking on Sarkozy's government over their proposal to raise the retirement age from 60 to 62.
Sarkozy insists the government will stick to the reform, saying it's only way to save the money-losing pension system - a reform that comes amid efforts across Europe to reduce debts that have threatened the euro and Europe's financial reputation.
Service on the Paris Metro subway system and buses was slashed by about a quarter yesterday, and commuter train lines around Paris were hit.
Only about one in three TGV fast trains were running, and more than half of regular-speed domestic trains were canceled, SNCF national rail operator said. Eurostar trains, which link France to Britain, were running normally, SNCF said in a statement.
Packed platforms
With fewer commuter trains than usual, crowds packed platforms throughout the busy transport hub at Paris' Saint-Lazare station as public transport workers handed out fliers about the protest movement and were ignored by most passers-by, but a few commuters stopped to argue about the need for a prolonged strike.
The strike action that began on Tuesday was the fifth since May - but this time unions upped the stakes by making them open-ended, meaning that the walkouts could drag on for days or even weeks. Previous walkouts have only lasted one day.
Union leaders have vowed to press on with the strikes until the government scraps the reform, but officials have pledged not to budge.
Unions fear the loss of a key workplace benefit, and say the cost-cutting axe is coming down too hard on workers.
Despite the strikes, parliament has pushed ahead with the reform. The Senate has approved raising the retirement age to 62, but is still debating overall reform.
Even with the change, France would still have among the lowest retirement ages in the developed world. The country has a huge budget deficit and sluggish growth, and the government says it must improve its finances.
Prime Minister Francois Fillon told lawmakers that backing down would be "economic madness and a social catastrophe."
About 1.2 million people marched in nationwide protests against the pension reform on Tuesday, according to police - the largest turnout in four national demonstrations over the past five weeks. Unions put the figure at 3.5 million.
The strong turnout could be a signal of rising momentum for the movement taking on Sarkozy's government over their proposal to raise the retirement age from 60 to 62.
Sarkozy insists the government will stick to the reform, saying it's only way to save the money-losing pension system - a reform that comes amid efforts across Europe to reduce debts that have threatened the euro and Europe's financial reputation.
Service on the Paris Metro subway system and buses was slashed by about a quarter yesterday, and commuter train lines around Paris were hit.
Only about one in three TGV fast trains were running, and more than half of regular-speed domestic trains were canceled, SNCF national rail operator said. Eurostar trains, which link France to Britain, were running normally, SNCF said in a statement.
Packed platforms
With fewer commuter trains than usual, crowds packed platforms throughout the busy transport hub at Paris' Saint-Lazare station as public transport workers handed out fliers about the protest movement and were ignored by most passers-by, but a few commuters stopped to argue about the need for a prolonged strike.
The strike action that began on Tuesday was the fifth since May - but this time unions upped the stakes by making them open-ended, meaning that the walkouts could drag on for days or even weeks. Previous walkouts have only lasted one day.
Union leaders have vowed to press on with the strikes until the government scraps the reform, but officials have pledged not to budge.
Unions fear the loss of a key workplace benefit, and say the cost-cutting axe is coming down too hard on workers.
Despite the strikes, parliament has pushed ahead with the reform. The Senate has approved raising the retirement age to 62, but is still debating overall reform.
Even with the change, France would still have among the lowest retirement ages in the developed world. The country has a huge budget deficit and sluggish growth, and the government says it must improve its finances.
Prime Minister Francois Fillon told lawmakers that backing down would be "economic madness and a social catastrophe."
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