Cobwebbed bikes and carpool apps: France braces for public sector strike

[webfact]

Cobwebbed bikes and carpool apps: France braces for public sector strike

By Caroline Pailliez and Geert De Clercq

 

People rush on a platform after a TGV high speed train arrived at the Gare Lille Flandres railway station on the eve of a national strike against French government's pensions reform plans in Lille, France, December 4, 2019. REUTERS/Pascal Rossignol

 

PARIS (Reuters) - Commuters scrambled to fix up old bicycles, reserve carpool rides and arrange emergency childcare ahead of one of France's biggest public sector strikes in decades on Thursday.

 

Unions are digging in for a nationwide strike over pension reform that they hope will cripple transport networks, close schools, leave garbage piled high to force President Emmanuel Macron into retreat.

 

"I've never seen so many people retrieve dusty old bikes from their cellars," said Julien, a mechanic at bike repair shop in the capital's affluent Left Bank neighbourhood.

 

The SNCF railway says only one in 10 commuter and high-speed TGV trains will run. Eurostar and Thalys have cancelled at least half their services linking Paris with London and Brussels and the government has asked airlines to cancel 20% of flights.

 

More than half of all primary and secondary teachers are expected to walk out and hospital emergency rooms nationwide will operate on thin staffing. Transport unions have set no end-date for the strike.

 

"What we've got to do is shut the economy down," Christian Grolier, a senior official from the hard-left Force Ouvriere union, told Reuters. "People are spoiling for a fight."

 

President Emmanuel Macron wants to simplify France’s Byzantine pension system, which comprises more than 40 different plans, many with different retirement ages and benefits. Macron says the system is unfair and too costly.

 

He wants a single, points-based system under which for each euro contributed, every pensioner has equal rights.

 

Past attempts at pension reform have ended badly. Former president Jacques Chirac conservative government in 1995 caved into union demands after weeks of crippling protests.

 

Twenty-four years later, the looming standoff is a risky venture for France's hard-left unions who have seen membership and public support wane in recent years. They are battling to remain relevant against a president who has faced down waves of strikes over reforms of the labour market and SNCF railways.

 

For Macron, the showdown will set the tone for the second half of his mandate, with more difficult reforms including to unemployment benefits to come.

 

The battle for public opinion will be critical, with the unions churning out leaflets and blitzing social media.

 

Many commuters are turning to carpooling for the first time, though monster traffic jams expected to snarl up the roads.

 

"Downloads for our new Blablalines commuter carpooling app are 10 times higher than on normal days," said Nicolas Brusson, CEO of carpooling pioneer Blablacar.

 

The strikes follow months of sometimes violent "yellow vest protests" over the high cost of living and perceived elitism of political class.

 

Laurent Berger, head of the reform-minded CFDT union, said the social environment was more explosive than in 1995.

 

"In terms of tension, social cohesion and fractures within society, it's a lot worse now," Berger told Reuters.

 

(Writing by Leigh Thomas and Richard Lough; Editing by Alison Williams)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2019-12-05

Follow Thaivisa on LINE for breaking Thailand news and visa info

[Baerboxer]

Interesting to see how this pans out.

 

Macron isn't becoming the big cheese in Europe, NATO and on the world stage he thought he would. And the wheels are falling off at home.

[Opl]

4 minutes ago, Baerboxer said:

Interesting to see how this pans out.

 

Macron isn't becoming the big cheese in Europe, NATO and on the world stage he thought he would. And the wheels are falling off at home.

Macron is too young to have created the mess he has to deal with and he saved the French from electing a populist, and for that only he deserves respect.

He's not constantly bragging about himself, or suspected to be a russian asset, it's nobody's fault if Trump made a mockery of himself, sometimes it's better to laugh than to cry.

The French are constantly playing against their own team, and that is to blame. I support Macron , he is not perfect, that's not what is expected,

He has ambition and so what?  

[sirocco]

for sure, we can glorify him.
He has put and still puts, to fire and blood, France
7 ministers resigned for nebulous reasons,
The chief of the General Staff of the armies, the general Pierre de Villiers was forced to leave his functions, a few weeks after the coronation of Manu 1st.
It must be emphasized that this self-starter has never done his military service.
Like little <deleted>, we do not do better.

[toast1]

>Macron is too young to have created the mess he has to deal with and he saved the French from electing a populist, and for that only he deserves respect.

Oh just imagine the horror of a 'populist' being elected, Someone who actually speaks for the vast majority of the population, not just a few with the 'correct' opinions.

Oh the horror!

[Opl]

1 hour ago, sirocco said:

for sure, we can glorify him.
He has put and still puts, to fire and blood, France
7 ministers resigned for nebulous reasons,
The chief of the General Staff of the armies, the general Pierre de Villiers was forced to leave his functions, a few weeks after the coronation of Manu 1st.
It must be emphasized that this self-starter has never done his military service.
Like little <deleted>, we do not do better.

Great, just elect anyone else .. let's say de Villiers because Le Pen or Mélenchon - 2 walking jokes, frankly no thanks, and you believe France economic et social issues will find their solutions with the approbation of the professional politicians and demonstrators who take to the streets every week end? The coalition of both far-right and far-left politicians in France today is responsible for the chaos, as a revenge for their own political fiascos. Today's strike is against a reform that is not even defined in its content, but if it sounds OK to you, what else do we need to disrupt the country a little bit more?     

In France, the military service was abolished in 1997, Macron was born in 1977, so he had the choice to do it for the last year, but as many others, he did not. Well I can understand it means a lot to you.. at least you did not mention his wife's age or the fact that he worked for Rotshild's Bank.

French are veals, I'm sure you understand. 

[ivor bigun]

Public sector strikes in France ,wow now theres a novelty .????

[Opl]

3 minutes ago, toast1 said:

>Macron is too young to have created the mess he has to deal with and he saved the French from electing a populist, and for that only he deserves respect.

Oh just imagine the horror of a 'populist' being elected, Someone who actually speaks for the vast majority of the population, not just a few with the 'correct' opinions.

Oh the horror!

the important word is " speak" .. Mélenchon hardly knows what "work for a living means " .. what is his profession, by the way , just politician ? 

and Le Pen, what does she understand of today's economy?