Million French March Over Reform (C'est dommage, massive strike cripples Chez Weasel!)

CNN ^ | May 13, 2003 | associated press

[mountaineer]

PARIS, France (AP) -- The French biked, walked or skated to work on Tuesday when hundreds of thousands of transport workers went on strike across the country, reducing air, train and bus service to a minimum and causing many travelers to cancel trips.

The strike was aimed at forcing the government of Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin to back away from reforming the troubled retirement system by requiring employees to work more years to qualify for pensions.

Police said more than one million protesting workers marched through France's major cities on Tuesday, while unions said the number was 2 million. In Paris, authorities said 70,000 took to the streets, but union leaders put that at 250,000.

The government has said it is open to discussion with unions about the details of the plan. But Social Affairs Minister Francois Fillon said the general direction of the reform was in the interest of all French workers and was already decided.

Government spokesman Jean-Francois Cope said the walkouts provided an occasion for officials to further inform the public about reform of the pension system, which officials predict will go bust in 20 years if not changed.

"Explain .... It's the key word for us in government on this day," Cope said. "If we don't carry out this reform, the system will collapse."

Teachers, post office workers, and employees of some private sector companies also walked off the job. With no delivery service, newspapers, too, fell victim to the "day of action."

Transport disruptions were massive. The national railway SNCF reported that nearly 60 percent of its employees stayed away from work, the highest participation rate for a railway strike since crippling shutdowns in 1995 that helped topple the government.

Metro and bus services were also cut to a minimum, meaning many had to walk or bike to work. The occasional train that ran was packed with commuters, and crowds on a platform at Paris' Saint Lazare station grew so large that some people were forced to jump onto the tracks to avoid the crush.

One in three high-speed TGV trains was running, but numerous destinations went without service, France-Info radio said. The Eurostar train service to London was reported running normally.

[Temple Owl]

Somehow I think you are right.

[mallardx]

Well, there is a lot of trade between us and France; and a collapse of the French economy would send ripples through ours.

Ah, the hell with it, let 'em sink!!!

[jagrmeister]

Let's add lazy to the list of French characteristics: unhygenic, cowardly, uninformed, arrogant, useless.

[Ben Chad]

LOL

[Grand Old Partisan]

The moslems will assume control over France's 350 nuclear weapons, so you won't be laughing for long.

[McGavin999]

They retire at 55? Good grief, no wonder the system is breaking down. That's a long time to live off the government.

[mountaineer]

What, you call demanding higher pay for shorter work weeks lazy?