- Title: FRANCE: RAIL STRIKE CREATES CHAOS ON ROADS INTO PARIS
- Date: 11th September 1969
- Summary: 1. GV EMPTY PLATFORMS, PARIS, GARE DE L'EST (4 SHOTS) 0.15 2. TV PEOPLE WAITING IN FRONT OF DEPARTURE BOARD 0.18 3. CU EMPTY BOARD 0.21 4. TV PEOPLE WAITING ON STATION PLATFORM(SUBURBAN) 0.25 5. GV & SV DITTO (2 SHOTS) 0.32 6. GV TRAFFIC JAM 0.35 7. GV OTHER TRAFFIC 0.40 8. SV & CU PEOPLE BOARDING ARMY VEHICLE (2 SHOTS) 0.48 9. SV PAN..ARMY LORRIES PAST 0.56 Initials KM/V/PW/ES Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 26th September 1969 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: PARIS -- FRANCE
- Country: France
- Reuters ID: LVA313X4PJM0T44KWNDPD7KXERR5
- Story Text: A 24-HOUR RAIL STRIKE SPREAD TO MORE THAN 20 DEPOTS THROUGHOUT FRANCE LAST NIGHT AS 30,000 TRAIN DRIVERS WALKED OUT IN PROTEST OVER WORKING CONDITIONS. THE STOPPAGE CREATED CHAOS ON ROADS LEADING INTO PARIS AS COMMUTERS TRIED TO BEAT THE STRIKE-BY DRIVING.
ALL PARIS STATIONS WERE HIT AND VERY FEW SUBURBAN LINES WERE OPERATING FULL STRENGTH. ON MANY LINES THERE WERE NO TRAINS AT ALL. THE FRENCH ARMY STOOD BY WITH LORRIES FOR EMERGENCY TRANSPORT.
THE TRAIN DRIVERS CLAIM THAT THEY WORK TOO FREQUENT SHIFTS AT TOO SHORT INTERVALS AND DEMAND THAT THE STATE CONTROLLED RAILWAYS RECRUIT 7,000 MORE MEN. THE RAILWAYS OFFERED TO HIRE A FURTHER 1,500 MEN IN TALKS WHICH BROKE DOWN TUESDAY NIGHT.
THE STOPPAGE IS THE FIRST INDICATION OF INDUSTRIAL UNREST EXPECTED TO TROUBLE THE NEW ADMINISTRATION OF PRESIDENT POMPIDOU THIS AUTUMN AFTER LAST MONTH'S FRANC DEVALUATION. THE DRIVERS HAVE THREATENED TO EXTEND TO STRIKE IF THE DISPUTE IS NOT SETTLED.
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