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| Strikes in France: A Difficult Commute, and Protests Planned | Strikes in France: A Difficult Commute, and Protests Planned |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| A protest against changes to France’s pension system was expected to bring broad swaths of the country to a standstill on Thursday, with nationwide strikes shutting down transportation and leaving schools and hospitals unstaffed and basic government services unmet. | A protest against changes to France’s pension system was expected to bring broad swaths of the country to a standstill on Thursday, with nationwide strikes shutting down transportation and leaving schools and hospitals unstaffed and basic government services unmet. |
| Throughout the country, workers stayed home to register opposition to the proposed changes pushed by President Emmanuel Macron. The widespread participation in the strike suggested deep social discontent, creating a new test for the government after its largely successful efforts to shut down last year’s “Yellow Vest” protests. | Throughout the country, workers stayed home to register opposition to the proposed changes pushed by President Emmanuel Macron. The widespread participation in the strike suggested deep social discontent, creating a new test for the government after its largely successful efforts to shut down last year’s “Yellow Vest” protests. |
| About one in eight suburban trains were running in many areas, if they were running at all. Subways in Paris were largely shut, children left for school early, and traffic was far lighter than normal. | About one in eight suburban trains were running in many areas, if they were running at all. Subways in Paris were largely shut, children left for school early, and traffic was far lighter than normal. |
| Hundreds of demonstrations were planned all over France, and the government was expected to deploy some 6,000 police in Paris alone amid fears that some could turn violent. Some police stations closed, and 70 percent of primary schoolteachers were set to strike as well. | Hundreds of demonstrations were planned all over France, and the government was expected to deploy some 6,000 police in Paris alone amid fears that some could turn violent. Some police stations closed, and 70 percent of primary schoolteachers were set to strike as well. |
| Stores and banks were boarded up, especially along the route of the main demonstration in northern Paris scheduled for this afternoon, as the police anticipated hundreds of casseurs — the “breakers” who have caused havoc in previous protests. | Stores and banks were boarded up, especially along the route of the main demonstration in northern Paris scheduled for this afternoon, as the police anticipated hundreds of casseurs — the “breakers” who have caused havoc in previous protests. |
| Inside Paris, traffic appeared normal early Thursday, and some garbage collection was being carried out. In the main provincial cities — Strasbourg, Bordeaux, Marseille, Nantes and Lille — few trains were running. | Inside Paris, traffic appeared normal early Thursday, and some garbage collection was being carried out. In the main provincial cities — Strasbourg, Bordeaux, Marseille, Nantes and Lille — few trains were running. |
| Ninety percent of France’s famed high-speed trains were canceled around the country, as were 80 percent of its express regional trains. The Eurostar, which connects Paris to London by train, was also running a reduced service. | Ninety percent of France’s famed high-speed trains were canceled around the country, as were 80 percent of its express regional trains. The Eurostar, which connects Paris to London by train, was also running a reduced service. |
| Truck drivers on the country’s highways were engaged in a slowdown in an effort to slow the nation’s economy, and airlines were expected to reduce flights by at least 20 percent. | Truck drivers on the country’s highways were engaged in a slowdown in an effort to slow the nation’s economy, and airlines were expected to reduce flights by at least 20 percent. |
| Getting to work on Thursday morning was especially challenging for residents of Paris, where all but a few metro lines were completely shut down, and many buses remained idle in their depots. | |
| “The state is of course respectful of strikers who are protesting the pension reforms, but is also preoccupied by the millions of French people who wish to travel tomorrow and in the coming days,” said Jean-Baptiste Djebbari, the junior transportation minister, in a news conference on Wednesday evening. | “The state is of course respectful of strikers who are protesting the pension reforms, but is also preoccupied by the millions of French people who wish to travel tomorrow and in the coming days,” said Jean-Baptiste Djebbari, the junior transportation minister, in a news conference on Wednesday evening. |
| Mr. Djebbari, flanked by the heads of the Paris transportation authority and the national railway company, said the government would help promote alternative solutions like private buses lines to help commuters, and that it had received assurances from ride-hailing companies that surge pricing would be limited. | Mr. Djebbari, flanked by the heads of the Paris transportation authority and the national railway company, said the government would help promote alternative solutions like private buses lines to help commuters, and that it had received assurances from ride-hailing companies that surge pricing would be limited. |
| At the Trocadéro station in Paris at 9 a.m., commuters saw that the metro entrance grates were rolled down and kept walking. | |
| Confusion reigned, as people rushing to work checked to see whether the No. 9 line was up and running. (It was, but only during rush hours, and only on a limited stretch that did not include that station.) | |
| El-Kabir Abdoulhamid, 37, looked at the map on his smartphone and concluded: 25 minutes by foot. He had already taken a packed commuter train from the suburb of Evry, and his full commute would be at least 30 minutes longer than usual. | |
| “But I support their right to strike,’’ said Mr. Abdoulhamid, who works in banking. “It’ll force employers to reflect. This is about pensions. You can’t have people living in misery in their retirement.’’ | |
| Many others expressed support for the strikers, though not without limits. | |
| “It’s O.K., they have a right to defend their rights,’’ said Eric Paul, who works in insurance. “If it doesn’t last too long, it’s acceptable.’’ | |
| Mr. Paul said the government was partly to blame for heightening anxiety by not being fully transparent about pension reform. | |
| “Even me, as a salaried worker, I’m not sure how I’ll be affected,’’ he said. | |
| Not everyone was as familiar with the issues. Two teenagers who were headed to school turned away from the station, confused. | |
| “I don’t even know what this is about,’’ said Kenzo Kemache, 15. | |
| “Pensions,’’ said Aboud Diop, 15. | |
| Mr. Kemache voiced his support but noted that the temperature had dipped below freezing. “Couldn’t they have picked a different day?” | |
| France has one of the world’s most generous pension systems, and past efforts to change it have long proven perilous in French politics. But President Emmanuel Macron is pushing ahead, hoping to streamline a byzantine system of 42 different pension plans that collectively are headed toward a $19 billion deficit. | France has one of the world’s most generous pension systems, and past efforts to change it have long proven perilous in French politics. But President Emmanuel Macron is pushing ahead, hoping to streamline a byzantine system of 42 different pension plans that collectively are headed toward a $19 billion deficit. |
| Mr. Macron proposed merging the various plans, public and private, into one state-managed system, in which workers would accumulate points throughout their careers and then cash them in. He has sold the idea as a fairer system, but some are concerned they would be left with lower payouts. | Mr. Macron proposed merging the various plans, public and private, into one state-managed system, in which workers would accumulate points throughout their careers and then cash them in. He has sold the idea as a fairer system, but some are concerned they would be left with lower payouts. |
| The strikes are not directly tied to last year’s Yellow Vest protests, which channeled deeper discontent into a movement that brought tens of thousands of people into the streets and extracted economic concessions from the government. But the Yellow Vests said they would join the new protest, as did a wide spectrum of unions and political parties. | The strikes are not directly tied to last year’s Yellow Vest protests, which channeled deeper discontent into a movement that brought tens of thousands of people into the streets and extracted economic concessions from the government. But the Yellow Vests said they would join the new protest, as did a wide spectrum of unions and political parties. |
| Adam Nossiter, Norimitsu Onishi, Aurelien Breeden, Daniel Victor and Michael Wolgelenter contributed reporting. |