Air traffic chaos as French strike over creeping reforms
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Your support makes all the difference.French air traffic controllers, rail workers and other public employees stopped work or marched yesterday to protest against what they claim is a creeping privatisation of the state sector in France inspired by the European Union.
A 24-hour strike by the air traffic staff halted most short-haul or European flights within or over French territory, leading to widespread problems for flights from Britain and other EU countries. Public transport in French cities was also disrupted but the Paris Metro and main line trains operated almost normally.
Meanwhile, a strike and a threatened road blockade by two French hauliers' unions virtually fizzled out yesterday, with fewer drivers than expected appearing.
Railway staff led a march of about 70,000 people through Paris, protesting against plans (which do not yet exist) to move towards a British-style privatisation of the state sector.
Behind these protests lies a fear amongpublic employees that the centre-right government, which took office earlier this year, plans a cull of privileges and jobs in nationalised industries. Unions say they wish to defend the principle of high-quality public services and point over the Channel at what they see as the dire consequences of privatisation.
"We want to avoid at all costs a privatisation of the railway system like in Great Britain, where we have seen the catastrophes that can cause," said José, 46, a railway ticket inspector and member of the CGT, the Communist-affiliated trades union federation.
The government says it has no plans to privatise the French railways, although plans do exist to sell Air France and allow commercial stakes in the state-owned electricity and gas industries.
The more immediate concern of employees is that the government might try to dismantle their privileges for pensions and early retirement (as early as 50 for some) and cut jobs. The protests were also, in part, a union beauty contest before elections for industrial tribunals next month, a crucial test of the relative strength of the main union federations.
There had been suggestions that the strike and protests might be the beginning of a winter of discontent like that of 1995. But with the collapse of the lorry strike and the relative calm, such a prospect now seems unlikely.
The centre-right government took a tougher line with the hauliers than in previous disputes by threatening to suspend the licences of anyone who blocked roads.
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