FRANCE: Transport in the French capital is paralysed on the first day of strikes as commuters use different means of transport to get to work

Transport in the French capital is paralysed on the first day of strikes as commuters use different means of transport to get to work. Striking French transport and energy workers caused chaos for the second time in a month on Wednesday (November 14) in a protest over pensions that is the biggest test yet of President Nicolas Sarkozy's reform drive. Train services were severely disrupted and energy production capacity reduced when an open-ended strike begun on Tuesday (November 13) evening. Sarkozy has broad public support for the reform which aims to bring generous pension provisions for about 500,000 public sector workers in line with those of all other workers ahead of a general pension reform next year. But Wednesday's industrial action is seen as his biggest test since he was elected in May promising change. The streets of Paris were heaving with mopeds, bikes, cars and pedestrians from before dawn as the capital tried to get to work without its usually efficient metro and bus system. Some tried to use the new public push bike system, but soon found out they were not the only one with this idea. "Everyone had the same idea, those who didn't have that idea are those who regulate the bikes, it was obvious that everyone would use the bikes today but there waren't any available on the outskirts of Paris," said Georges, a Paris resident. Only a handful of trains were scheduled to run on Wednesday and Paris's metro and bus systems were operating vastly reduced services, although some lines were less affected than predicted. Striking energy workers have cut about 12 percent of production capacity at EDF nuclear plants and blocked ships and gas input into the network at the Fos-sur-Mer gas terminal, the leading energy union said. "It's a mess, like every time there's a strike, but I'm used to it, it will just take twice as much time as usual," said one driver while waiting in a traffic jam. The dispute centres on Sarkozy's plan to end so-called "special regimes" that let a few workers retire after 37.5 years of pension contributions compared to 40 years for everyone else. They were introduced after World War Two for workers in arduous jobs but they cost the state 5 billion euros (7.3 billion U.S. dollars) a year and the government says they are outdated. All previous attempts to reform the special regimes have failed after massive street protests, but buoyed by public opinion Sarkozy is confident he will win this show of force. A survey in L'Express magazine published on Wednesday said 58 percent of people thought the government should not back down. A survey published by right-leaning Le Figaro newspaper said 84 percent of people did not expect Sarkozy to buckle.

ITN Source | November 14, 2007

Tags:. .promising. .massive. .failed. .else. .affected