France faces day 2 of mass strikes, transport chaos

By Hajer M'tiri

PARIS

Millions of commuters in France on Wednesday faced a second day of major travel disruption caused by rolling railway strikes to protest government reform plans.

The strike ends Thursday morning, but is due to resume four days later unless negotiations between unions and the government advance.

The rolling strikes which started on Tuesday, dubbed "black Tuesday" by the press, are set to disrupt traffic two days a week until June 28, making a total of 36 days of strike action over the next three months.

Students, trash collectors, some staff in the electricity and energy sector, and employees of Air France are taking part of what is described as the biggest wave of industrial unrest since President Emmanuel Macron's election last May.

State railway operator SNCF said about one in seven high-speed trains were running Wednesday, about one in five regional trains, and about one in three Paris commuter trains.

Eurostar canceled five trains in each direction between London and Paris.

Four labor unions have called for the industrial action against government plans to revamp the debt-laden SNCF ahead of being opened to competition in 2019.

Reforms also include the cancellation of a special status historically given to railway workers, which guarantees them a job for life and early retirement, for new employees.

Lost revenue

According to SNCF head Guillaume Pepy, the strike was likely to cost the company €20 million ($24.57 million) a day in lost revenue at a time when it is already adding €3 billion ($3.69 billion) to its overall debt pile of €47 billion ($57.8 billion) every year.

The government is determined to continue to lead the reform "to the end, with determination," government spokesman Benjamin Grivaux said Wednesday after the weekly ministerial council.

Grivaux said Macron asked the ministers to "continue to explain calmly" this reform and "never stigmatize anyone."

Speaking to parliament, Prime Minister Edouard Philippe said Tuesday the way the SNCF currently operates is not sustainable.

"I respect the strikers because going on strike is a constitutional right... But ... we also need to respect the millions of French who want to be able to get to work," he said.

Meanwhile, students have blocked universities in Paris, Montpellier, Toulouse, and Nice to protest what they say are more selective admissions procedures.

Flight crews and ground staff for Air France also announced a further two-day strike for April 10-11 over a pay dispute.

A major union, the Communist Party-linked CGT, is also pushing for mass industrial action on April 19.

Below are the proposed dates for SNCF strikes over the next three months:

April

- Tuesday 3 and Wednesday 4

- Sunday 8 and Monday 9

- Friday 13 and Saturday 14

- Wednesday 18 and Thursday 19

- Monday 23 and Tuesday 24

- Saturday 28 and Sunday 29

May:

- Thursday 3 and Friday 4

- Tuesday 8 and Wednesday 9

- Sunday 13 and Monday 14

- Friday 18 and Saturday 19

- Wednesday 23 and Thursday 24

- Monday 28 and Tuesday 29

June:

- Saturday 2 and Sunday 3

- Thursday 7 and Friday 8

- Tuesday 12 and Wednesday 13

- Sunday 17 and Monday 18

- Friday 22 and Saturday 23

- Wednesday 27 and Thursday 28