FRANCE: THIRTY SIX HOUR TRAIN STRIKE DISRUPTS NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL SERVICES.

Record ID: 342224

  • Title: FRANCE: THIRTY SIX HOUR TRAIN STRIKE DISRUPTS NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL SERVICES.
  • Date: 19th January 2005
  • Summary: (BN09) PARIS, FRANCE (JANUARY 19, 2005) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1. WS: EXTERIOR GARE DU NORD TRAIN STATION. LAS: METROPOLIAIN SIGN. (2 SHOTS) 0.11 2. HAS: INTERIOR GARE DU NORD TRAIN STATION. 0.18 3. WS: TRAIN AT PLATFORM. 0.24 4. WS: PASSENGERS WAITING INSIDE TRAIN STATION. 0.32 5. CU: SIGNS ANNOUNCING STRIKE AND TRAFFIC DISRUPTION INSIDE STATION. 0.40 6. VARIOUS: PEOPLE WAITING ON PLATFORM. (3 SHOTS) 0.57 7. WS: TRAIN ARRIVING, PASSENGERS LEAVING. 1.05 8. SCU: (SOUNDBITE) (French) JEAN PIERRE SAYING: "The workers are right, although they do disrupt French life as a whole, which is a bit annoying but each one has to defend his bread and butter." 1.20 9. WS: PEOPLE IN STATION. 1.28 10. SCU: (SOUNDBITE) (French) MARIE-CLAUDE SAYING: "Let's say that they are more organised than before: the times are posted on the eve of the strike, and that makes it less hard than usual. Last year no one knew anything while this time we have the chance to get ourselves organised." 1.46 11. WS: TRAIN ARRIVING AT PLATFORM. 1.50 12. SCU: PEOPLE COMING OUT OF TRAIN. 1.58 13. MV/SCU: TRAIN DRIVER INSIDE TRAIN, TALKING ON THE PHONE. (2 SHOTS) 2.09 14. SCU: (SOUNDBITE) (French) FREDERIC SAYING: "People were warned, so many just took time off in order not to have problems. Thus the traffic today is really cool and fluid." 2.21 15. CUSCU: BOARD ANNOUNCING EUROSTAR TIMES AND ADVISING ON-BOARD MEAL SERVICE IS ON STRIKE. (2 SHOTS) 2.35 16. WS: GROUP OF AMERICAN PASSENGERS WAITING FOR EUROSTAR. 2.40 17. SCU: (SOUNDBITE) (English) UNIDENTIFIED AMERICAN TRAVELLER SAYING: "We heard about it but our train is expected to arrive in time. Maybe there will be a few less trains, but [nothing too serious]." 2.54 18. WS: EUROSTAR TRAIN AT PLATFORM. 2.59 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 3rd February 2005 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: PARIS, FRANCE
  • Country: France
  • Reuters ID: LVAAENJC5BLSWRTL9HABE83X3B3V
  • Story Text: 36-hour train strike disrupts national and
    international services.



    French train traffic was severely disrupted on
    Wednesday (January 19) due to a 36-hour strike by railway
    workers over working conditions, while the country geared
    up for separate protests by energy workers and hospital
    surgeons.

    It was the second of three days of industrial unrest
    which put the spotlight on discontent with President
    Jacques Chirac's conservative government as it prepares to
    relax the 35-hour work week introduced by the previous
    Socialist-led government.

    Commuters were left with just one intercity train
    running in four, one high-speed TGV in three and only 16-30
    percent of suburban trains in the Paris area, railway
    operator SNCF said. The Eurostar link with Britain was not
    affected, but station announcements at the Gare du Nord
    said the catering was affected by the stoppage .

    For the first time, SNCF posted lists in national
    newspapers ahead of the strike detailing the trains it
    expected to run, in a bid to minimise the disruption to
    commuters. The railway operator said that by 8 a.m., all
    the trains advertised had run.

    "Let's say that they are more organised than before:
    the times are posted on the eve of the strike, and that
    makes it less hard than usual. Last year no one knew
    anything while this time we have the chance to get ourselves
    organised"
    , said Marie-Claude, a passenger
    waiting for her train at Gare du Nord.

    Unions were protesting against the SNCF's 2005 budget,
    due to be approved on Wednesday, which includes plans to
    lay off 3,600 members of staff. They are also worried about
    government plans to guarantee a minimum service during
    transport strikes.

    Gas and electricity workers were due to march through
    Paris on Wednesday morning while hospital surgeons were
    expected to perform only emergency operations, as part of
    the public sector protests over job cuts and wages.

    The government wants more flexible working practices to
    help cut unemployment from almost 10 percent and make the
    euro zone's second largest economy more competitive. Unions
    fear the changes will lead to a longer working week without
    pay rises.

    Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin has played down any
    parallels with street protests that were seen as causing
    the downfall of the last conservative government in 1997.

    Opinion polls this week showed about two thirds of the
    French sympathised with the postal and rail workers.



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