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| French strike brings travel chaos | French strike brings travel chaos |
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| France has suffered travel chaos after transport and energy workers broadened a strike in protest against President Nicolas Sarkozy's pension reform. | France has suffered travel chaos after transport and energy workers broadened a strike in protest against President Nicolas Sarkozy's pension reform. |
| Rail services were severely disrupted and energy production reduced in the open-ended action over cuts affecting some 500,000 public sector workers. | Rail services were severely disrupted and energy production reduced in the open-ended action over cuts affecting some 500,000 public sector workers. |
| Thousands of commuters were forced to improvise their journey to work. | Thousands of commuters were forced to improvise their journey to work. |
| The government and the unions have resumed talks but unions have voted to extend the strike to Thursday. | The government and the unions have resumed talks but unions have voted to extend the strike to Thursday. |
| There are fears the stoppage, which began on Tuesday evening, could last for several days. | There are fears the stoppage, which began on Tuesday evening, could last for several days. |
| The BBC's Alasdair Sandford in Paris says that with students, teachers, civil servants and even magistrates also threatening strike action in the coming weeks, the fear for the government is that this becomes a general wave of protest against economic hardship. | The BBC's Alasdair Sandford in Paris says that with students, teachers, civil servants and even magistrates also threatening strike action in the coming weeks, the fear for the government is that this becomes a general wave of protest against economic hardship. |
| Contingency plans | Contingency plans |
| 'SPECIAL' PENSIONS Benefits 1.6m workers, including 1.1m retireesApplies in 16 sectors, of which rail and utilities employees make up 360,000 peopleAccount for 6% of total state pension paymentsShortfall costs state 5bn euros (£3.5bn; $6.9bn) a yearSome workers can retire on full pensions aged 50Awarded to Paris Opera House workers in 1698 by Louis XIV In pictures: French strikes Can street protests succeed? | 'SPECIAL' PENSIONS Benefits 1.6m workers, including 1.1m retireesApplies in 16 sectors, of which rail and utilities employees make up 360,000 peopleAccount for 6% of total state pension paymentsShortfall costs state 5bn euros (£3.5bn; $6.9bn) a yearSome workers can retire on full pensions aged 50Awarded to Paris Opera House workers in 1698 by Louis XIV In pictures: French strikes Can street protests succeed? |
| Labour Minister Xavier Bertrand met Mr Sarkozy and Prime Minister Francois Fillon on Wednesday and also held talks with unions to seek a resolution. | Labour Minister Xavier Bertrand met Mr Sarkozy and Prime Minister Francois Fillon on Wednesday and also held talks with unions to seek a resolution. |
| Mr Bertrand's prediction of "a hellish day for travellers" was largely fulfilled with fewer than a quarter of trains running normally nationwide. | Mr Bertrand's prediction of "a hellish day for travellers" was largely fulfilled with fewer than a quarter of trains running normally nationwide. |
| Only 90 of the country's 700 high-speed TGV trains were running while commuter services were also sharply reduced. | Only 90 of the country's 700 high-speed TGV trains were running while commuter services were also sharply reduced. |
| The French train company SNCF warned the disruption would continue on Thursday, but offered some consolation by announcing that more TGVs - 150 - would be operating. | The French train company SNCF warned the disruption would continue on Thursday, but offered some consolation by announcing that more TGVs - 150 - would be operating. |
| RATP, the operator of the Paris metro, which was also badly hit on Wednesday, warned services would be severely disrupted again on Thursday, with at most one in four subway trains running. | RATP, the operator of the Paris metro, which was also badly hit on Wednesday, warned services would be severely disrupted again on Thursday, with at most one in four subway trains running. |
| HAVE YOUR SAY How can the French possibly justify this strike? Giving train drivers the mere possibility to work over 55, not the obligation, provokes widespread strikes Robert Marsh, Lyon Send us your comments | |
| Only 15% of bus services were running on Wednesday. | Only 15% of bus services were running on Wednesday. |
| Across France, commuters were forced to find other ways to get to work - driving in earlier than usual, car sharing, cycling or roller blading. | Across France, commuters were forced to find other ways to get to work - driving in earlier than usual, car sharing, cycling or roller blading. |
| More than 300km (190 miles) of traffic jams, twice the daily average, reportedly clogged roads into Paris. | More than 300km (190 miles) of traffic jams, twice the daily average, reportedly clogged roads into Paris. |
In other developments:
| In other developments:
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| Mandate for change | Mandate for change |
| Xavier Michel, 25, who skated 8km to his advertising job, told the AP news agency: "I support the idea of strikes, but not this strike. It hurts the little guys like us who are basically taken hostage." | Xavier Michel, 25, who skated 8km to his advertising job, told the AP news agency: "I support the idea of strikes, but not this strike. It hurts the little guys like us who are basically taken hostage." |
| STRIKE SPREADS RAIL: Seven of eight unions at the state-owned SNCF rail company began an open-ended strike on 13 NovemberPARIS METRO/BUS: Five of eight unions joined an open-ended strike on 14 NovemberENERGY: Seven unions at state-owned EDF and GDF utilities strike on 14 NovemberPARIS OPERA HOUSE: Four unions representing staff join strike on 14 November. Open-ended strike by La Comedie Francaise, the state theatre Solidarity amid French crisis Economic tensions | STRIKE SPREADS RAIL: Seven of eight unions at the state-owned SNCF rail company began an open-ended strike on 13 NovemberPARIS METRO/BUS: Five of eight unions joined an open-ended strike on 14 NovemberENERGY: Seven unions at state-owned EDF and GDF utilities strike on 14 NovemberPARIS OPERA HOUSE: Four unions representing staff join strike on 14 November. Open-ended strike by La Comedie Francaise, the state theatre Solidarity amid French crisis Economic tensions |
| While polls broadly supported Mr Sarkozy, some commuters criticised him for trying to push through change too quickly. | While polls broadly supported Mr Sarkozy, some commuters criticised him for trying to push through change too quickly. |
| The last time a government tried to overhaul "special" pensions was in 1995 and it sparked three weeks of strikes that forced then-president Jacques Chirac to climb down. | The last time a government tried to overhaul "special" pensions was in 1995 and it sparked three weeks of strikes that forced then-president Jacques Chirac to climb down. |
| But Mr Sarkozy insists France can no longer afford to allow some public service employees to retire on a full pension as early as 50 and he has vowed to stay the course. | But Mr Sarkozy insists France can no longer afford to allow some public service employees to retire on a full pension as early as 50 and he has vowed to stay the course. |
| "I will carry out these reforms right to the end. Nothing will put me off my goal," he told the European Parliament during a visit to Strasbourg. | "I will carry out these reforms right to the end. Nothing will put me off my goal," he told the European Parliament during a visit to Strasbourg. |
| "The French people approved these reforms. I told them all about it before the elections so that I would be able to do what was necessary afterwards," he said. | "The French people approved these reforms. I told them all about it before the elections so that I would be able to do what was necessary afterwards," he said. |
| But a spokesman for the CGT trade union disagreed with Mr Sarkozy's logic. | But a spokesman for the CGT trade union disagreed with Mr Sarkozy's logic. |
| "If reforms for the French citizen means they are going to be working more and getting less pension at the end of the deal, I'm not quite sure all the French are agreeing with this approach," Oliver Sekai told the BBC. | "If reforms for the French citizen means they are going to be working more and getting less pension at the end of the deal, I'm not quite sure all the French are agreeing with this approach," Oliver Sekai told the BBC. |
| However, the head of the CFTC union, Jacques Voisin, expressed "very measured optimism" that the government could offer concessions that would lead to an end of the strike. | However, the head of the CFTC union, Jacques Voisin, expressed "very measured optimism" that the government could offer concessions that would lead to an end of the strike. |