FRANCE / CORSICA: Disruption to commuters at the start of a transport strike expected to escalate seriously, and workers in Corsica join the strike

Record ID: 341521

  • Title: FRANCE / CORSICA: Disruption to commuters at the start of a transport strike expected to escalate seriously, and workers in Corsica join the strike
  • Date: 4th October 2005
  • Summary: PEOPLE WAITING INSIDE STATION SIGN ANNOUNCING STRIKE PEOPLE WAITING INSIDE STATION EMPTY TRAIN PLATFORM PEOPLE WAITING INSIDE STATION
  • Embargoed: 19th October 2005 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Topics: Employment,Transport
  • Reuters ID: LVAE60APTT04JV6X4ZTC5HEPIJHJ
  • Story Text: A one-day strike disrupted public transport in France on Tuesday (October 4) in protest at high unemployment and low purchasing power, putting pressure on the conservative government over its labour and economic policies. The size of the protests called by all of France's main trade unions will gauge public sentiment towards Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin after fours months in power, and test the unions' ability to bring workers out to challenge policy.
    Commuters faced delays at railway stations and cancellations at airports, but many trains, buses and subway services were still running and fears of chaos appeared ill-founded. Some Parisians, used to such labour unrest, simply stayed at home. "There are fewer people than usual. Most of my team have taken the day off," said Kathy, a woman arriving at Paris' St Lazare train station. "The strikers are right but it does cause some problems." Some international flights and many domestic flights were cancelled at Paris airports and passengers faced delays of up to 90 minutes on some domestic flights, officials said. High-speed international trains were running on time but rail traffic in France was cut by about half or two-thirds, rail officials said. Many cities faced transport problems and 150 protest marches were planned across the country. Strikes by energy workers reduced power production, but no power cuts were expected for consumers. Many schools were expected to remain shut because of the absence of staff such as teachers and canteen workers.
    Villepin, 51, has enjoyed a surge in popularity since he was appointed by President Jacques Chirac on May 31 to revive the government's fortunes after French voters embarrassed it by rejecting the European Union's constitution. But the former foreign minister, who opposed the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003, faces growing problems. Almost three in four French people supported the day of protests, according to an opinion poll, pointing to the difficulties Villepin faces trying to restore public confidence before presidential and parliamentary elections in 2007. Strikes are watched nervously by governments in France because street protests in 1995 are seen as having been responsible for the defeat of conservative Prime Minister Alain Juppe in snap elections two years later.
    Corsican workers in Bastia also joined in Tuesday's national protest. Several thousand workers from all the island's unions marched together holding flags and banners. Alan Mosconi, a sailor who last week took part in the hostage-taking of a ferry boat and was later released, was heading the crowd. "Today is a historic day because you can see all the unions from the island marching together. It means that the workers, when they are targeted, fight back immediately. These folk are not sleeping: they are on the street", he said. Tension remained high on the island after several days of violence and blockade sparked by the fight over privatisation of a state-owned ferry company. The blockade, which left thousands of tourists stranded, was lifted over the weekend, but it was set to start again following Tuesday's protest.
    The two-week-old labour dispute over attempts to sell off the debt-ridden National Corsica Mediterranean Company (SNCM) has taken on volatile political overtones in recent days as militants on the island made the issue a nationalist rallying-cry. Corsica, with about 250,000 inhabitants, has been prey for three decades to generally low-level violence from armed separatists who are often linked to the criminal underworld. Last week members of the pro-nationalist Union of Corsican Workers commandeered an SNCM passenger cargo ship, triggering a helicopter-borne rescue mission by elite French commandos. Since then there have been daily demonstrations on the island, often degenerating into violence, despite the release from custody of four ringleaders.
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