Strikes in Paris Disrupting Travel

October 18, 2007

Strikes in Paris Disrupting Travel
Oct. 18, 2007 –Strikes in Paris on Wednesday halted public transportation, disrupting suburban trains, subways, buses and even some air travel. Unions are protesting President Nicolas Sarkozy’s plan to cut back special retirement packages for some workers.

According to Bloomberg.com, approximately 300,000 people at railroads, power and gas utilities, schools and the post went on strike. Paris transport authority RATP said traffic would be "virtually nil" on most of its lines. The national rail network said it would be "nearly paralyzed." Eurostar trains to London and connections to neighboring European countries also were disrupted.

Transit workers initiated the strikes, but employees of state-run electricity, gas and other services also could take part.

The Association Press reports that more than 90 percent of high-speed TGV trains are not running and only one Paris subway line is running as usual because it is automated. Four in five Eurostar trains to London were running, and three in five Thalys trains to Belgium and the Netherlands, said national rail operator SNCF.