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Transportation Strike Called in France
Wednesday March 9, 2005 7:46 PM
PARIS (AP) - Commuters face rail disruptions Thursday as unions planned major strikes across France, which will coincide with an International Olympic Committee inspection of Paris’ bid for the 2012 Summer Games.
Paris commuter trains would be hardest hit, with only about 20 percent of suburban lines running, while half of France’s long distance TGV trains would be suspended, the national rail authority said.
Eurostar links with London and Thalys services to Belgium were expected to run normally. International disruptions were expected to be limited to Artesia night trains between France and Italy.
The strikes were set to begin after the evening rush hour Wednesday and end at midnight Friday.
The work actions, which come amid a wave of labor discontent, were an embarrassment to officials who are hosting Olympic officials through Saturday.
Both trade union and bid officials say the timing of the strikes is unrelated to the IOC visit in Paris. Trade unions have pledged support for the games, which would create a windfall of extra jobs.
Unions have also pledged not to disrupt the IOC visit and are working with the Paris police department to make sure the two don’t cross paths.
Nonetheless, Olympic inspectors will get a close-up view of French labor and the protests raise the question of whether an Olympics in Paris would be disrupted if workers walk off the job in the summer of 2012.
In Paris, authorities forecast significant subway disruptions and said that service on more than a dozen lines would be rerouted because of expected street protests.
Trade unions have called for a massive demonstration in Paris to defend the 35-hour work week and to push for more jobs and pay talks.
On Wednesday, scientists nationwide were protesting a draft law that would provide more state funding for research but which protesters contend remains inadequate.
A student protest in Paris a day earlier turned violent, when hundreds of troublemakers interrupted a peaceful rally against planned curriculum reforms.
Much of the discontent is over proposed reforms to France’s welfare system and labor laws. The nation’s conservative government, trying to control its deficit line with European Union limits, wants people to contribute more to their health care and has trimmed the generosity of state pensions. Public sector workers oppose plans to reform the 35-hour work week to allow more overtime.
The last public transit strike in January caused wide disruptions.
