France transport strikes threaten to sow chaos during holiday travel season

Issued on: 21/12/2019 - 16:01Modified: 21/12/2019 - 16:01

Two weeks of nationwide strikes against President Emmanuel Macron’s planned overhaul of the pension system have disrupted railways and roads, shut some schools and brought more than half a million people onto the streets.

After inconclusive talks with the government on Thursday, hard-line unions called for the strikes to continue over the holiday period while railway members of more moderate unions also rejected calls for a Christmas truce. 

National rail operator SNCF continued to run reduced services on Saturday, including half the usual number of high-speed TGV trains, as passengers began heading out of the French capital on the last weekend before the Christmas holiday. 

At Saint-Lazare station, one of the busiest in Paris, Sylvain de Pierrepont and Cathy Walters were en route to Normandy with their two children to visit family when their train was delayed.

“It’s a bit stressful because we don’t know if the train will be running or not,” de Pierrepont said. 

Half of Paris metro lines shut

As well as competing for limited seats on nationwide rail services, travellers also endured transport chaos in and around Paris with metro and suburban train services crippled by the strikes. Half of the capital’s 16 metro lines remained shut on Saturday. Only lines 1 and 14, which are automated, have been offering regular services.

Unions oppose Macron’s plans to streamline France’s state pension system and to push people to work until 64 instead of the current retirement age of 62. The reform includes provisions to end the special accomodations made for people working in sectors such as railways, some of whom are allowed to retire as early as 52.

About 62 percent of respondents to an opinion poll published Tuesday by the broadcaster RTL said they supported the strike, but 69 percent said they wanted a Christmas “truce”.

Businesses are already feeling the impact, with industry associations reporting turnover losses of 30 to 60 percent from a year earlier, in a period that is usually the busiest of the year.

Some 615,000 people took to the streets across France on Tuesday, the third day of mass demonstrations since the strike began on December 5.

The moderate CFDT union has called for members to observe a pause in strikes during the holiday season but its rail section voted to pursue the stoppages. The rail section of the UNSA union also called for a holiday truce.

Negotiations over the pension reform are due to resume in January, after which the government wants to bring its proposal before parliament and have legislation passed by next summer.

(FRANCE 24 with REUTERS and AFP)