Travel chaos as strikes cripple France
Flights and trains axed as millions of workers hit out at Macron’s reforms
HUNDREDS of thousands of British travellers face days of chaos caused by the worst strikes to hit France for decades.
Millions of workers took action in protest at President Emmanuel Macron’s proposed pensions reforms yesterday, with days of disruption to come.
The strikes paralysed several cities on ‘ Black Thursday’ as demonstrations turned into violent clashes with police.
Those on strike included air traffic controllers and other airport workers, as well as staff from France’s state- owned railway SNCF. They were joined by teachers, postal workers, firefighters, medics and even lawyers.
It led to chaos in Britain as airlines cancelled hundreds of flights and Eurostar axed almost 100 trains to and from the continent as part of a reduced timetable running until at least Tuesday.
Tourists heading to Disneyland Paris said they were ‘heartbroken’. Daryl Moran, an electrical engineer from Merseyside, said: ‘It was a surprise for my eldest daughter, who is eight next week. She is absolutely heartbroken that we are missing a full day there now.’
A Eurostar spokesman said: ‘Customers were notified last week and those affected are able to exchange their tickets for another day or get a full refund.’
Easyjet cancelled 233 flights, including 70 flying in and out of the UK, and warned of further cancellations and delays. British Airways said a ‘handful’ of services were cancelled, including flights to Spain and Switzerland which were due to fly over French airspace.
The Eiffel Tower and the Orsay museum were shut due to staff shortages, while the Louvre and other museums warned that some wings and exhibits were closed.
More than 6,000 police officers equipped with water cannon and armoured cars were on the streets of Paris yesterday to deter violence, but protesters set fire to buildings and smashed windows around the Place de la Republique.
There were similar scenes in Rennes and Bordeaux, where banks were attacked, and police fired hundreds of rounds of teargas. By yesterday afternoon there were 65 arrests in Paris, and 6,500 ‘preventative searches’ aimed at stopping demonstrators carrying weapons. There were tensions in the northwestern city of Nantes where 20,000 people turned out and police used tear gas, and police and demonstrators also clashed in the south-eastern city of Lyon.
The demonstrations spread as far as France’s overseas depart
ments, with 3,000 people protesting in Saint-Denis, the main city of the country’s Indian Ocean territory of La Reunion.
Striking workers were joined by so-called Yellow Vest protesters as well as anarchists known as the Black Bloc. The Yellow Vests, named after their trademark bright yellow jackets, have been behind some of the worst rioting in recent history in France and their involvement has led to fears the protests will spiral out of control of the unions.
The strikes – the largest of their kind since 1995 – represent the biggest tests of Mr Macron’s presidency. He has pledged to shrink
France’s public services, and to make the private sector more competitive. As part of this, he wants to introduce a universal pension system – replacing the 42 different current schemes.
Government officials have admitted the reforms will mean French workers will gradually have to work longer and potentially earn less upon retirement.
The Foreign Office is also warning of heavy traffic on major roads in France due to striking hauliers. P&O Ferries, which operates services between Dover and Calais, said it expected ‘potential disruption’ to its schedules.