France enters new week of strikes

Parisians face bleak choices

PARIS, Dec 16, (Agencies): French transport strikes against a planned overhaul of the pension system entered their twelfth day Monday as French president Emmanuel Macron’s government remains determined to push ahead with its plans.

Authorities measured a record traffic jam of 630 kilometers (391 miles) of traffic in the morning in the Paris region, where only two Metro lines, using automated trains with no drivers, were fully running. The other 14 metro lines were closed or only very partially running.

Most regional and national trains were at a standstill. International train routes also suffered disruptions.

Truck drivers launched a separate protest movement Monday morning, staging road blockages across France to demand better salaries and working conditions.

Macron said last week he wants the government to “continue the work” on the pension changes, which include raising the retirement age to 64 and ending special privileges for some workers.

Major unions want to push the strike through Christmas as a new round of protests across France was planned Tuesday.

The strikes involve mostly public sector workers, including train drivers, teachers and hospital employees, who fear they will have to work longer for

aging native population and concern about immigration.

Heil said that the aim isn’t to undercut German wages and “our problem at the moment is rather that we are not being overrun, that we are not getting qualified workers.” (AP) lower pensions.

Parisians woke up to a daunting challenge Monday, as transport and other strikes created massive commuter problems, compounded by a trucker work stoppage and over 550 km of traffic snarls around the capital.

As if that were not enough, a downpour of torrential rain hit the city as if to discourage those workers who brave the transport strikes by walking to work, or taking bikes or the latest fad here, motorised scooters.

Opted

Most of France’s unions, led by the Communist CGT, which is powerful in the rail transport sector, have opted to continue strike action for a twelfth day to protest government attempts to reform the country’s complicated retirement system.

Only 30 percent of mainline trains are scheduled for Monday, with local services patchy at best, rail operator SNCF said.

To focus the strike action, the disruptions in Paris are growing daily as panicked commuters almost come to blows to get on rare subways and commuter trains.

Again, Monday, the militant RATP transit unions in the capital have closed eight major metro subway lines, with six others offering only partial services.

Buses and tramways are also disrupted

Gathering on refugees opens:

The United Nations high commission for refugees said Monday that a three-day global gathering aimed at transforming the way the world responds to refugee situations kicked off in Geneva, Switzerland.

The first-ever Global Refugee Forum brings together refugees, heads of state and commuters have no option but to ride-share, rent cars, try to snag a taxi or another car service, take bikes or motorised two-wheelers and scooters, walk or stay at home.

There are practically no rental cars to be had in the Paris region, currently, France Info reported.

For many motorists, given near record traffic snarls, the situation means hours of bumper-to-bumper traffic on office and home commutes.

Tempers are fraying both inside and outside the public transport system.

And businesses already claim a 30 percent drop off in revenues so far in usually-busy December and the strike has no end in sight. The tourism industry is sounding the alarm as cancellations flow in and restaurants and other entertainment venues see a sharp drop in business.

As the Christmas period approaches, when many should be feeling excitement at shopping for gifts or planning travel for family reunions, that excitement is gradually being replaced by panic as commuters and travellers find it impossible to book and plan travel in what has been declared “an unlimited strike” by unions.

Government and transport-management appeals to strikers “to assume their responsibilities” and to declare a “holiday truce” have so far fallen on deaf ears.

and government, UN leaders, international institutions, development organizations, business leaders and civil society representatives, among others, at the Palais des Nations, the home of the United Nations Office at Geneva, said the UNHCR in a press relas.

UNHCR is co-hosting the Forum together with Switzerland, and it is being co-convened by Costa Rica, Ethiopia, Germany, Pakistan, and Turkey.

The aim of the Forum is to generate new approaches and long-term commitments from a variety of actors to help refugees and the communities in which they live.

Worldwide, over 70 million people are displaced by war, conflict, and persecution.

More than 25 million of them are refugees, having fled across international borders and unable to return to their homes.

“We are emerging from a decade of displacement during which refugee numbers have surged,” said UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi in the same press release.

“This week, at the first ever Global Refugee Forum, we must focus our efforts in the coming decade on building upon what we have learned and committing action to support refugees and the countries and communities hosting them.

This Forum is an opportunity to attest our collective commitment to the Global Compact on Refugees and rally behind the aspirations of the Sustainable Development Goals of leaving no one behind.” (KUNA)