France: Christmas transport disrupted by prolonged strike
December 25, 2019
All but two train lines of the Paris metro were shuttered on Christmas day, while only a fraction of high-speed rail and inner city trains were operational. Despite the disruption, a slim majority support the strikes.
Image: Reuters/G. Fuentes
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Travelers in France faced frustrations on Wednesday, as the transport strike extended into its fourth week and coincided with the Christmas holiday.
Thousands of trains were cancelled or delayed, while taxis, ride-sharing services and car rental agencies were overwhelmed by demand. The underground metro in Paris was shut down, except for two lines.
Only a fraction of high-speed and inter-city trains ran on Christmas Eve and even fewer were operating the following day. Paris' main train stations were closed on Christmas morning, with suburban connections slashed.
Transport will continue to be disrupted on Thursday, but state rail company SNCF said it hopes the situation will improve this weekend. "We expect to be running three out of the usual five TGVs," a spokesman said.
The holiday disruption comes after President Emmanuel Macron had called for a holiday truce, but the government and the unions failed to find common ground.
At the center of the labor dispute, which sparked widespread protest and strikes lasting over two weeks, are reforms that would do away with 42 different pension schemes and replace them with a points-based system.
Additionally, the reforms seek to set 64 as the age until which people must work to earn a full pension. That is two years beyond the current official retirement age in France.
Even Paris Opera workers, who can retire at 42, joined the strike. On Tuesday, some 40 dancers performed Swan Lake to passers-by on the steps outside the opera house with banners warning: "Culture in danger."
Ballerinas perform outside to protest the pension reformsImage: AFP/S. de Sakutin
French unions are hoping the government will back down on pension reform, as it did in 1995, when three weeks of metro and rail stoppages just before Christmas resulted in a win for labor activists.
But the protests this month have come at a cost for businesses, especially retailers, hotels and restaurants, during what is usually the busiest periods of the year.
The SNCF said on Tuesday that it had lost €400 million ($442 million) in potential earnings so far.
An opinion poll by the IFOP agency published Sunday showed, however, that some 51% of people still expressed support or sympathy for the strike.
Negotiations between the government and the unions are scheduled to continue on January 7.
jcg/kl (Reuters, AFP)
France on strike — in pictures
French public sector workers are striking over controversial pension reforms proposed by President Emmanuel Macron. Schools closed, transport is disrupted and emergency rooms are operating with minimum staff.
Image: Reuters/G. Fuentes
Walkout causes gridlock
Many workers hoped to return to work on Friday. Some commuters opted to hire bicycles and scooters and others took their cars. This led to large traffic jams in French cities. There were nearly 300 kilometers of traffic jams in the Paris region.
Image: Reuters/C. Platiau
Transportation grinds to a halt
90% of high-speed trains and 70% of regional trains were cancelled on Friday, the French railway announced. The French civil aviation authority instructed airlines to reduce their Friday flight traffic from central airports to 20%.
Image: Reuters/C. Platiau
A fairer system?
Public sector workers are unhappy about a reform that would see France transition to a points-based pension system from its current system that has 42 sector-specific pension schemes. Currently, rail workers, mariners and some ballet dancers can retire up to 10 years earlier than other workers. President Macron said that the proposed system would be fairer for everyone.
Image: imago images/IP3press/G. Jeremias
Pensions debate without movement
Macron's proposals follow a long tradition of French government pension reform proposals stretching for three decades. Each reform has been met with massive demonstrations and none of the changes has succeeded in simplifying the pension system.
Image: Reuters/B. Tessier
United behind a low retirement age
Years of protests against pension reforms have successfully kept the retirement age low. In France, the pension age was raised to 62 years. This is among the lowest in OECD countries, despite being raised from 60 years in 2010 reforms. In Germany, retirement is at 67 years old.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/C. Mahoudeau
Stronger together?
French union leaders are the driving force behind the nationwide strike — but they are not united. The CGT union is the most hardline. It rejects any pension reform proposals and said workers had blocked seven out of eight of the countries oil refineries. The CFDT union is more moderate and is open to the idea of a points-based system.
Image: picture-alliance/Zuma/J. Colburn
Protests sparked
While the majority of protesting consisted of peaceful marches, masked protesters also vandalized bus stops, smashed shop windows, and threw fireworks at police as demonstrators progressed through Paris on Thursday.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/J. Mattia
Seeing red at pension proposals
The so-called Yellow Vests are known for their direct approach to protesting and have said they would join the strikes. Authorities are bracing themselves for possible violence. The yellow-vest movement has swelled into anti-government and anti-inequality protests. Many see the general strike in France as protecting the country's social safety net — not just about preserving pensions.
Image: Reuters/J.-P. Pelissier
Riot police move in
After peaceful protesting escalated to include rioting and damage to public and private property, security forces also intensified their tactics. Riot police charged crowds and fired tear gas to disperse violent demonstrators.
Image: Reuters/Herault Infos
Police and protesters clash in Paris
Police clashed with protesters on Thursday in Nantes, Montpellier, Paris as well as other cities. Masked demonstrators started fires, smashed storefronts, and vandalized cars.
