French rail services were disrupted today, and elementary school teachers are on strike as public sector unions protest proposed pension changes after President Nicolas Sarkozy's party was dealt a blow in regional elections.
The SNCF, France's national train network, said less than half of its high-speed trains are operating from Paris to both Marseille and Bordeaux. Train services to London, Brussels, Geneva, Milan and other international destinations are operating normally, SNCF said on its website.
In Paris, two of the capital's 14 metro subway lines are running at half service. The others are running at two-thirds service or are not affected at all.
About half of France's elementary school teachers were on strike today, said SNU-IPP, the largest teacher's union.
The 24-hour rail stoppages began last night at 8pm, Paris time, one day after Mr Sarkozy's Union for a Popular Movement held on to only one of France's 22 mainland regional councils after a two-round election.
Five unions, including the CGT, France's largest, called the strike on February 17th to put pressure on the government over talks planned to start next month on cutting state pension system losses.
Bloomberg
