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| Walkout fuels French strike woes | Walkout fuels French strike woes |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Hundreds of thousands of civil servants have joined striking transport and energy workers as France is crippled by a second week of industrial action. | Hundreds of thousands of civil servants have joined striking transport and energy workers as France is crippled by a second week of industrial action. |
| Postal workers, teachers, air traffic controllers and hospital staff are holding a 24-hour stoppage to protest against planned pay and job cuts. | Postal workers, teachers, air traffic controllers and hospital staff are holding a 24-hour stoppage to protest against planned pay and job cuts. |
| Students are continuing demonstrations at plans for more university autonomy. | Students are continuing demonstrations at plans for more university autonomy. |
| It could end up as the biggest protest over President Nicolas Sarkozy's reform plans since he took power in May. | It could end up as the biggest protest over President Nicolas Sarkozy's reform plans since he took power in May. |
| The latest nationwide stoppage left many schools closed, hospitals providing a reduced service and newsagents without newspapers. | The latest nationwide stoppage left many schools closed, hospitals providing a reduced service and newsagents without newspapers. |
| Sarkozy's silence | Sarkozy's silence |
| The French capital's two airports and Marseille airport in the south suffered delays and cancellations. | The French capital's two airports and Marseille airport in the south suffered delays and cancellations. |
| The civil servants' purchasing power has dramatically lowered. I think they have the right to go on strike Paris commuter Strike fever hits France France's workplace anger In pictures: Strikes spread | The civil servants' purchasing power has dramatically lowered. I think they have the right to go on strike Paris commuter Strike fever hits France France's workplace anger In pictures: Strikes spread |
| French energy workers, who began a third 24-hour strike on Monday night, have cut nearly 9% of capacity at nuclear plants, union officials said. | French energy workers, who began a third 24-hour strike on Monday night, have cut nearly 9% of capacity at nuclear plants, union officials said. |
| Rail and bus workers are on their seventh day of an indefinite stoppage against planned pension cuts. | Rail and bus workers are on their seventh day of an indefinite stoppage against planned pension cuts. |
| Finance Minister Christine Lagarde said the dispute was costing France up to 400m euros (£290m) a day. | Finance Minister Christine Lagarde said the dispute was costing France up to 400m euros (£290m) a day. |
| Half of the country's high-speed TGV trains were operating on Tuesday, while in Paris only one metro train in three was in service and less than half of buses were expected to run. | Half of the country's high-speed TGV trains were operating on Tuesday, while in Paris only one metro train in three was in service and less than half of buses were expected to run. |
| STRIKERS' GRIEVANCES Teachers, civil servants oppose job cuts and want more payNewspaper distributors angry at planned restructuringTransport workers on strike for a week over pension reformsStudents protest at changes they say could exclude poor | |
| State rail operator SNCF says the number of its workers on strike had fallen since last week. | State rail operator SNCF says the number of its workers on strike had fallen since last week. |
| The strikes have caused havoc for millions of commuters across France and massive traffic jams built up on roads into the capital again on Tuesday morning. | The strikes have caused havoc for millions of commuters across France and massive traffic jams built up on roads into the capital again on Tuesday morning. |
| BBC world affairs correspondent Nick Childs says the French president's recent public absence is striking, though he may be avoiding confrontation to test the mood. | BBC world affairs correspondent Nick Childs says the French president's recent public absence is striking, though he may be avoiding confrontation to test the mood. |
| But our correspondent says keeping quiet could be seen as uncertainty and weakness, leading to sentiment turning against Mr Sarkozy if the disruption drags on. | But our correspondent says keeping quiet could be seen as uncertainty and weakness, leading to sentiment turning against Mr Sarkozy if the disruption drags on. |
| Opinion polls suggest voters back the French leader's pension reforms but a majority sympathises with the civil servants' pay and job cut grievances. | Opinion polls suggest voters back the French leader's pension reforms but a majority sympathises with the civil servants' pay and job cut grievances. |
| Walking to work in the centre of Paris, commuter Guy Cousserant, 56, told Reuters: "A small group of people are holding the country hostage. It's lamentable, very annoying." | Walking to work in the centre of Paris, commuter Guy Cousserant, 56, told Reuters: "A small group of people are holding the country hostage. It's lamentable, very annoying." |
| But there was some sympathy on the streets of the capital for Tuesday's stoppage by public sector workers. | |
| One woman told AP news agency: "The civil servants' purchasing power has dramatically lowered. I think they have the right to go on strike." | One woman told AP news agency: "The civil servants' purchasing power has dramatically lowered. I think they have the right to go on strike." |
| Eight unions representing 5.2 million state employees - around a quarter of the entire workforce - say their spending power has fallen 6% since 2000, though the government disputes that figure. | Eight unions representing 5.2 million state employees - around a quarter of the entire workforce - say their spending power has fallen 6% since 2000, though the government disputes that figure. |
| They also oppose plans to cut 23,000 jobs in 2008, half in education. | They also oppose plans to cut 23,000 jobs in 2008, half in education. |
| Students are continuing to block access to campus buildings in half of the country's 85 universities. | Students are continuing to block access to campus buildings in half of the country's 85 universities. |
| 'SPECIAL' PENSIONS SYSTEM 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 Can street protests succeed? Solidarity amid French crisis | 'SPECIAL' PENSIONS SYSTEM 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 Can street protests succeed? Solidarity amid French crisis |
| They have been protesting since the start of November over plans to let faculties pursue non-government funding. | They have been protesting since the start of November over plans to let faculties pursue non-government funding. |
| The transport workers' strike was triggered by plans to scrap "special" pensions privileges enjoyed by half a million staff. | The transport workers' strike was triggered by plans to scrap "special" pensions privileges enjoyed by half a million staff. |
| SNCF bosses are due to hold talks with transport unions on Wednesday. | SNCF bosses are due to hold talks with transport unions on Wednesday. |
| The government has relaxed its earlier stance on refusing talks unless strikers returned to work. | The government has relaxed its earlier stance on refusing talks unless strikers returned to work. |
| On Monday Prime Minister Francois Fillon said rail traffic must "progressively restart" for talks to take place. | On Monday Prime Minister Francois Fillon said rail traffic must "progressively restart" for talks to take place. |
| But he insisted the government would not budge on its commitment to overhaul the French economy, saying it had a mandate to reform. | But he insisted the government would not budge on its commitment to overhaul the French economy, saying it had a mandate to reform. |
| Will you be affected by the strike, or are you taking part in it? Send us your comments on this story by filling out the form below. | Will you be affected by the strike, or are you taking part in it? Send us your comments on this story by filling out the form below. |