[R-G] France gripped by massive strike

[Anthony Fenton]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7102890.stm

France gripped by massive strike
	
Hundreds of thousands of civil servants have joined striking  
transport and energy workers as France is paralysed by a second week  
of industrial action.

Teachers, postal workers, air traffic controllers and hospital staff  
are holding a 24-hour stoppage over planned job cuts and higher wage  
demands.

Students are continuing to demonstrate over university funding plans.

Many thousands joined street protests in Paris, Rouen, Strasbourg,  
Marseille, Grenoble, Lyon and other cities.

It could end up as the biggest show of defiance at President Nicolas  
Sarkozy's reform plans since his election in May.

The latest nationwide stoppage left many schools closed, hospitals  
providing a reduced service and newsagents without newspapers.

Sarkozy's silence

The French capital's two airports and Marseille airport in the south  
suffered delays and cancellations.

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.

And 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.

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.

State rail operator SNCF, which is due to hold talks with transport  
unions on Wednesday, says the number of its workers on strike had  
fallen since last week.

But with traffic gridlock on the capital's roads on Tuesday morning,  
the stoppage still caused havoc for commuters.

BBC world affairs correspondent Nick Childs says the French president  
has been keeping a low profile, perhaps to test the public mood.

Mr Sarkozy may wish to avoid a counter-productive confrontation, but  
his public absence risks being construed as a sign of weakness, our  
correspondent says.

Opinion polls suggest voters back the French leader's plans to reform  
"special" pensions which allow transport and utility workers to  
retire early, but a majority sympathises with civil servant grievances.

Analysts say Mr Sarkozy is attempting to succeed where his  
predecessor Jacques Chirac failed, by standing firm against the  
strikers and completing his reforms.

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 one woman in the capital told AP news agency: "The civil  
servants' purchasing power has dramatically lowered. I think they  
have the right to go on strike."

The education ministry said 40% of teachers had walked out but union  
officials said the figure was more like 60%.

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.

Students are continuing to block access to campus buildings in half  
of the country's 85 universities.

They have been protesting since the start of November over plans to  
let faculties pursue non-government funding.

Prime Minister Francois Fillon said on Monday the government was  
ready to talk with unions but insisted it would not budge on plans to  
overhaul the French economy.