FRANCE: Thousands of commuters demonstrate in Paris against the ongoing transport strike which has caused nationwide disruption and forced many people to miss work

Thousands of commuters demonstrate in Paris against the ongoing transport strike which has caused nationwide disruption and forced many people to miss work. Thousands of angry French people took to the streets of Paris on Sunday (November 18) to protest against a five-day-old rail strike that has caused chaos for commuters and hurt business. Despite freezing weather, a crowd of several thousand called on railway workers to return to work and for the government not to back down from planned pension reforms. "It's a weak minority who is demonstrating against a big majority who wants to go to work without any problems and who want to pay their contribution but they don't want to pay for the privileged, the people who are contributing less than us," said Patrick Lesage, one of the demonstrators. "I think that the strikers must allow the people to go to work. It's incredible to block the population. It's a very selfish attitude to block the rest of the population," said Chantal, another woman participating in the march. Rail unions were due to say later on Sunday whether they would extend their strike, amid expectations it will run until Tuesday (November 20), when public sector workers are due to march in cities across the country in their own protest at government policy. Opinion polls show the rail strike is unpopular with most French voters. Railway workers have so far shown themselves to be less keen on negotiations than union leaders. Police put participation in the march against the strikes at 6,500. Parisian shops and restaurants have already complained the rail strike has cost them lost business, although analysts say the macroeconomic impact of the strike has so far been limited.

ITN Source | November 19, 2007

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