Tweet
As French Strikes Grow, Sarkozy Breaks Silence
Mikael Libert/European Pressphoto Agency
Demonstrators in Lille take part in a nationwide day of protest on Tuesday.
Sign In to E-Mail or Save This Print Reprints Share
Del.icio.usDiggFacebookNewsvinePermalink
By DOREEN CARVAJAL
Published: November 21, 2007
PARIS, Nov. 20 — President Nicolas Sarkozy urged transport workers to end their weeklong strike over pension benefits today as civil service employees, including primary school teachers, firefighters. newspaper printers and weather service employees walked out in a separate dispute over job cuts.
After a week of avoiding comment on the train strike, Mr. Sarkozy said in a speech to a group of French mayors that reform was long overdue for privileges that allow public sector employees, including the transit workers, to retire early.
“We will not surrender and we will not retreat,” Mr. Sarkozy said, still assuming he has the broad domestic support to end early retirement. “France needs reforms to meet the challenges imposed on it by the world.”
It was Mr. Sarkozy’s drive to reform the pension system — allowing some workers to retire in their 50s — that provoked the rail, subway and bus rail strikes started Nov. 13 and were followed by stoppages by energy workers and employees at the Paris Opera, whose special pension benefits date to the 17th century.
“Everyone should understand that for me, in such a conflict, there will neither be winners or losers,” Mr. Sarkozy said, adding, “but I also say that one should know how to end a strike when the time for negotiations starts.”
Mr. Sarkozy warned that the walkout must halt before it brings “the economy to its knees” and he also cited the millions of French people who “are exasperated by being held hostage.”
“You have to know how to stop a strike,” he said. “You have to think of all those who have to go to work.”
In the separate strike confounding the country, air traffic controllers slowed traffic, newspaper printers halted publication of national newspapers and primary and high school teachers failed to show up for class. Even the staff of the Bank of France also joining the walkout.
But despite the disruptions, there were signs that train workers were returning back to work. Fewer than 30 percent of the workers for the national railroad S.N.C.F. and the Paris transport network R.A.T.P. were absent today, compared to 61.5 percent on the opening day of the walkout last week.
R.A.T.P. transit officials predicted that, for Wednesday, lines would continue to be disrupted along suburban lines, and one out of four of its scheduled trains would run on metro lines and 50 percent of buses circulating.
Railway officials also predicted that service would remain limited on Wednesday.
Union officials were poised to participate in talks with the management of the state-owned railway S.N.C.F. on Wednesday.
Government officials could join those talks as well, “if more strikers go back to work and more trains, buses and Metro lines are running,” Laurent Wauquiez, the government’s spokesman, said in an interview with RTL radio. “For everyone to come around the table, everyone has to take a step forward,” Mr. Wauquiez said.
The general walkout was a show of strength to try to push Mr. Sarkozy to back off plans to cut government jobs. This time demonstrators mobilized about 30 percent of the 2.5 million civil service employees, an increase from the 23 percent in a similar strike last February.
Throughout much of the strike, Mr. Sarkozy — ordinarily highly visible — had shunned the limelight, leaving it to cabinet ministers and party officials to press his arguments on a flurry of morning radio shows and evening television newscasts.
Other government ministers sought to publicize the effect of the lingering strike on the economy with the budget minister, Eric Woerth, telling France Inter radio today that the transit strike ultimately could cost the nation $440 million to $510 million a day.
The Paris Opera has canceled more than a dozen ballet performances, leading to losses of about $3.6 million, according to management. The permanent staff of the Opera and train drivers share the same special early retirement benefits.Ballet dancers can retire at 40 with a minimum of 10 years service while Opera choir members can retire at 50.
More Articles in International »
Mikael Libert/European Pressphoto Agency
Demonstrators in Lille take part in a nationwide day of protest on Tuesday.
Sign In to E-Mail or Save This Print Reprints Share
Del.icio.usDiggFacebookNewsvinePermalink
By DOREEN CARVAJAL
Published: November 21, 2007
PARIS, Nov. 20 — President Nicolas Sarkozy urged transport workers to end their weeklong strike over pension benefits today as civil service employees, including primary school teachers, firefighters. newspaper printers and weather service employees walked out in a separate dispute over job cuts.
After a week of avoiding comment on the train strike, Mr. Sarkozy said in a speech to a group of French mayors that reform was long overdue for privileges that allow public sector employees, including the transit workers, to retire early.
“We will not surrender and we will not retreat,” Mr. Sarkozy said, still assuming he has the broad domestic support to end early retirement. “France needs reforms to meet the challenges imposed on it by the world.”
It was Mr. Sarkozy’s drive to reform the pension system — allowing some workers to retire in their 50s — that provoked the rail, subway and bus rail strikes started Nov. 13 and were followed by stoppages by energy workers and employees at the Paris Opera, whose special pension benefits date to the 17th century.
“Everyone should understand that for me, in such a conflict, there will neither be winners or losers,” Mr. Sarkozy said, adding, “but I also say that one should know how to end a strike when the time for negotiations starts.”
Mr. Sarkozy warned that the walkout must halt before it brings “the economy to its knees” and he also cited the millions of French people who “are exasperated by being held hostage.”
“You have to know how to stop a strike,” he said. “You have to think of all those who have to go to work.”
In the separate strike confounding the country, air traffic controllers slowed traffic, newspaper printers halted publication of national newspapers and primary and high school teachers failed to show up for class. Even the staff of the Bank of France also joining the walkout.
But despite the disruptions, there were signs that train workers were returning back to work. Fewer than 30 percent of the workers for the national railroad S.N.C.F. and the Paris transport network R.A.T.P. were absent today, compared to 61.5 percent on the opening day of the walkout last week.
R.A.T.P. transit officials predicted that, for Wednesday, lines would continue to be disrupted along suburban lines, and one out of four of its scheduled trains would run on metro lines and 50 percent of buses circulating.
Railway officials also predicted that service would remain limited on Wednesday.
Union officials were poised to participate in talks with the management of the state-owned railway S.N.C.F. on Wednesday.
Government officials could join those talks as well, “if more strikers go back to work and more trains, buses and Metro lines are running,” Laurent Wauquiez, the government’s spokesman, said in an interview with RTL radio. “For everyone to come around the table, everyone has to take a step forward,” Mr. Wauquiez said.
The general walkout was a show of strength to try to push Mr. Sarkozy to back off plans to cut government jobs. This time demonstrators mobilized about 30 percent of the 2.5 million civil service employees, an increase from the 23 percent in a similar strike last February.
Throughout much of the strike, Mr. Sarkozy — ordinarily highly visible — had shunned the limelight, leaving it to cabinet ministers and party officials to press his arguments on a flurry of morning radio shows and evening television newscasts.
Other government ministers sought to publicize the effect of the lingering strike on the economy with the budget minister, Eric Woerth, telling France Inter radio today that the transit strike ultimately could cost the nation $440 million to $510 million a day.
The Paris Opera has canceled more than a dozen ballet performances, leading to losses of about $3.6 million, according to management. The permanent staff of the Opera and train drivers share the same special early retirement benefits.Ballet dancers can retire at 40 with a minimum of 10 years service while Opera choir members can retire at 50.
More Articles in International »
mi belly!!!!
Comment