- Title: FRANCE: FRANCE IS EXPERIENCING A NEW ROUND OF NATIONWIDE STRIKES
- Date: 10th June 2003
- Summary: (W3) ROISSY, OUTSIDE PARIS, FRANCE (JUNE 10, 2003) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1. GV/LV CHARLES DE GAULLE AIRPORT, VARIOUS OF AIR FRANCE PLANES GROUNDED BY STRIKE (6 SHOTS) 0.26 2. LV/CU DESERTED HALLWAY, MONITOR WARNING OF TRAFFIC DISRUPTION DUE TO AIR TRAFFIC STRIKES (2 SHOTS) 0.36 3. SLV PASSENGERS PUSHING TROLLEYS 0.45 4. CU BULLETIN BOARD SHOWING TWO PLANE CANCELLATIONS 0.49 5. SLV LONG LINES AT CHECK-IN COUNTER 0.52 6. LAS MAN SITTING ON BENCH, CLUTCHING HIS BAGS 0.55 (W3) PARIS, FRANCE (JUNE 10, 2003) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 7. SLV HIGH SPEED THALYS AND EUROSTAR TRAINS GROUNDED BY STRIKE 0.58 8. SLV CROWD WAITING FOR UNDERGROUND, TRAINS PULLING INTO STATION, COMMUTERS GETTING IN AND OUT 1.28 9. SLV PASSENGERS IN HALL 1.32 10. SV BULLETIN BOARD INSIDE TRAIN STATION WARNING OF CANCELLATIONS DUE TO STRIKES 1.37 11. LAS PASSENGERS IN HALL 1.44 12. MCU (French) WOMAN COMMUTER, SAYING: "It's disgraceful, because it doesn't which government is in power, no one is ever happy, and in the end, it always the people who end up taken hostage. On top of all this, I'm already stressed out because my son is taking his baccalaureate (high school exams) in two days time, the whole thing is just pathetic, it's a pity. France is a really beautiful country, but it's just sad to see this." 2.03 13. MCU (French) ITALIAN COMMUTER, SAYING: "I'm Italian and we also have lots of problems back home because of pensions, but I just find it unbelievable to see the way they completely paralyse public transport here in Paris. I left home at 6:30 this morning to get here at 8:25 and I don't even know if my train will leave or not." 2.29 14. SV COMMUTERS WAITING FOR TRAINS ON PLATFORM 2.33 15. GV/SLV OF HEAVY TRAFFIC COMING INTO PARIS (3 SHOTS) 2.49 16. SLV WOMAN RIDING BICYCLE TO WORK, SEVERAL PEOPLE RIDING BIKES ON PAVEMENT 3.02 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 25th June 2003 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: ROISSY AND PARIS, FRANCE
- Country: France
- Reuters ID: LVA34NT0XGFV773LG87T7Q6OP9AU
- Story Text: France is experiencing a new round of nationwide
strikes as public-sector employees put pressure on the
government to withdraw its plan for pensions reforms.
French commuters faced new misery on Tuesday (June 10)
as over half morning rush-hour trains were cancelled
in new public sector strikes over planned pension reforms,
causing huge road tailbacks as workers took to their cars.
International air traffic experienced delays, but basic
service was assured.
Traffic authorities counted a total 300 km (200 miles) of
traffic jams around Paris by 8.00 a.m. as national rail
company
SNCF said two out of three trains throughout France did not
run.
Tuesday's strike, which comes on the heels of a week of
sporadic rail and air traffic chaos, was due to be joined by
postal workers, bank employees, telecommunications workers,
hospital staff, police and port workers, among others.
Unions are seething at government plans to make people pay
into the pension system for longer to counter a financing
crunch
as the post-war "baby boom" generation floods into retirement.
Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin was due to open a
10-day parliamentary debate on the reform proposal with a
speech on
Tuesday afternoon. The opposition has already filed some 9,000
proposed amendments to the pension reform bill.
Commuters braced for another day of misery.
"It's disgraceful, because it doesn't which government is
in power, no one is ever happy, and in the end, it always the
people who end up taken hostage. On top of all this, I'm
already stressed out because my son is taking his
baccalaureate (high school exams) in two days time, the whole
thing is just pathetic, it's a pity. France is a really
beautiful country, but it's just sad to see this," said a
woman waiting for trains at Gare du Nord (North Train station)
Education Minister Luc Ferry and Interior Minister Nicolas
Sarkozy were also due to hold fresh talks with teachers'
unions,
which have threatened to sabotage exams for the highly-prized
baccalaureate -- France's main school leaving exam -- by
awarding high marks to all students.
The government has vowed to take every measure necessary
to ensure the exams are not disrupted, including possible use
of
police and security forces to guard exam papers.
This Italian traveller said he was shocked at the way
French employees go on strike.
"I'm Italian and we also have lots of problems back home
because of pensions, but I just find it unbelievable to see
the way they completely paralyse public transport here in
Paris. I left home at 6:30 this morning to get here at 8:25
and I don't even know if my train will leave or not."
Many commuters decided to beat traffic jams by riding
bicycles or walking to work.
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