FRANCE:French rail workers began an open-ended strike over pension reforms yesterday, the first step of a major challenge to President Nicolas Sarkozy's plans for economic reform. Staff at state rail group SNCF stopped work yesterday evening and are expected to stay off until at least the weekend.
With Paris local transport workers and energy unions joining the rail workers today, the strike could become the biggest France has witnessed in more than a decade. Public servants are due to stop work in a separate dispute on November 20th.
Mr Sarkozy held last-minute talks with rail and utilities managements yesterday and vowed to stand firm. "I will pursue these reforms to the end," he told the European Parliament. "Nothing will blow me off course." Opinion polls suggest the public supports the president in his bid to reform a system that allows some public sector workers to retire on full pension after paying contributions for 2.5 years less than other workers.
But widespread unhappiness over issues such as the cost of living and housing may fuel broader discontent if the dispute drags on.
Mr Sarkozy said the privileges were outdated and unfair to other workers, and they have become a test of his election pledge to undertake a profound reform of the French economy.
"If we don't do this reform, we may as well stop because we won't do any," Henri Guaino, one of Sarkozy's closest advisers, was quoted as saying by the left-wing daily, Libération.
SNCF said it expected only 90 out of 700 high-speed intercity services to run during the strike, while 10 per cent of the normal number of buses and Metro trains were due to run in Paris today.
Transport workers say they still suffer low pay and awkward working hours that justify their status.