Pave: Reform Shutdown

Le jour 185 de Sarko

As night follows day. Reforms...

SARKOZY WARNED: 'WE'LL TAKE TO THE STREETS'

PARIS May 12, 2007 (Telegraph) - Bernard Thibault, the head of the 711,000-strong CGT union [Confédération générale du travail, General Confederation of Labour], said that Mr Sarkozy's large majority in last Sunday's presidential election did not give him "the legitimacy to do anything he wants".

CLASH EXPECTED OVER FRENCH PENSIONS
PARIS September 13, 2007 (IHT)

SARKOZY MEETS UNION HEADS TO TAKE STING OUT REFORMS
PARIS September 16, 2007 (Scotsman/Reuters)

FRANCE'S SARKOZY VOWS SWIFT PENSIONS REFORM
PARIS September 18, 2007 (Reuters)

FRENCH UNIONS SET STRIKE OVER SARKOZY'S REFORM PLANS
PARIS September 20, 2007 (IHT)

...strikes.

FRANCE, THE WORKER'S PARADISE
Privileges Are Inviolable, Reforms Are Theft
(Small Print Below.)

FRENCH TRANSPORT UNIONS CALL FOR HUGE STRIKE

PARIS October 12, 2007 (Telegraph) - French unions have kept up their call for a massive strike next week to protest against the government's handling of pension reforms for state transport and power workers, despite a last-minute government concession.

The unions reacted to a reform plan received on Wednesday from French employment minister, Xavier Bertrand, which aims to re-align generous "special" pensions [les régimes spéciaux] of rail and metro workers, as well as state utility employees with the rest of the French civil service.

These special benefits currently allow half a million public transport and utility employees to retire as early as 50 and costs the state five billion euros a year.

STRIKE CRIPPLES RAIL SERVICE THROUGHOUT FRANCE

PARIS October 17, 2007 (IHT) - Public transportation ground to a halt Wednesday night as most Métro and suburban trains stopped running, scores of subway stations were closed and buses suspended services at the start of a 24-hour strike that some unions said could be extended.

RAIL STRIKE CRIPPLING PARIS TO CONTINUE TOMORROW
October 18, 2007 (Guardian)

SECOND DAY OF TRANSPORT PROBLEMS
AS FRENCH UNIONS MULL MORE STRIKES

PARIS October 19, 2007 (AFP) - French commuters faced a second day of disruption on the rail network Friday, as unions discussed more strikes against government plans to reform pension privileges enjoyed by hundreds of thousands of public sector workers.

... Invoking social equity, Sarkozy has begun moves to lengthen contribution periods for these workers from 37.5 years to 40, closer in line with other public and private sector employees. Currently some railway staff can retire on a full pension at the age of 50. Le Figaro editorial:

In the name of what do the beneficiaries of the special systems [scil., les régimes spéciaux] think that they alone in our country should be spared from longer contribution periods when life expectancy for the whole country is so much greater?

PARIS OPERA STRIKE FORCES
CANCELLATION OF MORE SHOWS

PARIS October 29, 2007 (AFP) - A strike at the Paris Opera has forced the cancellation of six shows, including two on Monday, and threatens to cause losses running up to 2.2 million euros if it continues. ... In all six performances have been cancelled since Friday due to a wildcat strike over pension reform.

JOBS GAINSAY JUSTICE
More Government Candy = More Socialist Justice

AIR FRANCE STRIKE CONTINUES AFTER WEEKEND OF CHAOS

October 29, 2007 (Airwise/Reuters) - Cabin crew members at Air France said they would continue with a strike that brought misery to thousands of travelers at Paris airports over the weekend. The company said it expected "major costs" as a result of the dispute.

AIR FRANCE [5-DAY] STRIKE OVER;
TRAVEL AGENTS SUE OVER BROKEN CONTRACTS
PARIS October 30, 2007 (AHN)

UNIVERSITY STUDENTS ANGRY
OVER REFORMS DISRUPT CLASSES

PARIS November 6, 2007 (IHT/AP) - French university students angry over a law making their schools more market-friendly have shut down classes at several campuses across France and are mobilizing to join nationwide protests later this month over President Nicolas Sarkozy's reforms.

FRENCH STRIKE CUTS POWER, DISRUPTS LNG

PARIS November 13, 2007 (Reuters) - The leading CGT union said earlier that striking energy workers had cut 7,620 megawatts, or about 12 percent of France's nuclear output capacity since Tuesday night... French energy and rail workers are staging their second 24-hour strike in protest at the government's plan to reform special pensions in the public service.

FRANCE HIT BY TRANSPORT CHAOS
AS UNIONS CONFRONT SARKOZY

PARIS November 15, 2007 (AFP) - Workers in the national rail network and the Paris metro shut down the system Wednesday in protest at the economic reform plans of President Nicolas Sarkozy, the second such strike in a month. Fewer than a quarter of trains ran normally across France and only 90 of 700 TGV fast trains.

.. SNCF [Société Nationale des Chemins de fer Français, French National Railway Company, these guys] unions gave notice of an open-ended strike, which meant the disruption could extend for several days. Some organisers hope it will last to November 20, when a separate strike by civil servants against state sector job cuts is planned.

... Commuters either fought their way to work Wednesday or took the day off to escape the jams.

For backgrounders on French pensions see our posts here and here.

CAFFEINATED SARKO
Ready To Go In No-Go France
[Source: Charlie Hebdo]

PFFT (What is this?): Duly elected government lacks legitimacy 2½ | Rayonnement français 0

Posted by Damian at November 16, 2007 03:15 AM