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| Version 8 | Version 9 |
|---|---|
| Transport hit by French strikers | Transport hit by French strikers |
| (10 minutes later) | |
| Rail and air services have been disrupted as French public and private sector workers hold a one-day strike. | Rail and air services have been disrupted as French public and private sector workers hold a one-day strike. |
| Many trains were cancelled, and a third of flights out of one Paris airport. | Many trains were cancelled, and a third of flights out of one Paris airport. |
| Hundreds of thousands of workers are expected at rallies later in the day to demand more government action to protect jobs and wages. | Hundreds of thousands of workers are expected at rallies later in the day to demand more government action to protect jobs and wages. |
| Three-quarters of people and all the main trade unions are backing what the press are calling "Black Thursday", correspondents say. | Three-quarters of people and all the main trade unions are backing what the press are calling "Black Thursday", correspondents say. |
| The protesters are demonstrating against the worsening economic climate in France and at what they believe to be the government's poor handling of the crisis. | The protesters are demonstrating against the worsening economic climate in France and at what they believe to be the government's poor handling of the crisis. |
| "I'm tired and frozen after waiting half-an-hour on the platform," commuter Sandrine Dermont told the AFP news agency as she arrived by train in Paris. There are other ways to make oneself heard than striking Eric WoerthFrench finance minister | "I'm tired and frozen after waiting half-an-hour on the platform," commuter Sandrine Dermont told the AFP news agency as she arrived by train in Paris. There are other ways to make oneself heard than striking Eric WoerthFrench finance minister |
| "But I'm prepared to accept that when it's a movement to defend our spending power and jobs. I'll join the street protests during my lunch break," she said. | "But I'm prepared to accept that when it's a movement to defend our spending power and jobs. I'll join the street protests during my lunch break," she said. |
| Reports said that regional trains and those in and around Paris were being affected. Forty percent of regional trains were running, operator SNCF said, and 60% of high-speed TGV services. | Reports said that regional trains and those in and around Paris were being affected. Forty percent of regional trains were running, operator SNCF said, and 60% of high-speed TGV services. |
| Schools, banks, hospitals, post offices and courts were all expected to be hit as workers stay home in protest. | Schools, banks, hospitals, post offices and courts were all expected to be hit as workers stay home in protest. |
| A third of flights out of Paris' second airport, Orly, were cancelled, but those out of the larger Charles de Gaulle hub were experiencing only short delays, AFP said. | A third of flights out of Paris' second airport, Orly, were cancelled, but those out of the larger Charles de Gaulle hub were experiencing only short delays, AFP said. |
| Hit hard | Hit hard |
| Last summer, President Nicolas Sarkozy boasted that these days when there is a strike in France, nobody notices, says the BBC's Emma-Jane Kirby in Paris. | Last summer, President Nicolas Sarkozy boasted that these days when there is a strike in France, nobody notices, says the BBC's Emma-Jane Kirby in Paris. |
| But this time, our correspondent adds, the strike will hit hard. | But this time, our correspondent adds, the strike will hit hard. |
| Many people are angry French banks were given a multi-billion euro bail out while floundering industries and businesses were offered far less help. | Many people are angry French banks were given a multi-billion euro bail out while floundering industries and businesses were offered far less help. |
| Thierry Didieu of the CFDT union explains the aims of the strike | Thierry Didieu of the CFDT union explains the aims of the strike |
| With unemployment looking likely to hit 10% by next year, the French are now looking for assurances from their president that he will drop his programme of cost cutting reforms and instead turn his attention to relaunching the ailing economy, our correspondent says. | With unemployment looking likely to hit 10% by next year, the French are now looking for assurances from their president that he will drop his programme of cost cutting reforms and instead turn his attention to relaunching the ailing economy, our correspondent says. |
| "We want to show how the people are dissatisfied with the situation at the moment," Thierry Dedieu of the CFDT general workers' union told the BBC. | "We want to show how the people are dissatisfied with the situation at the moment," Thierry Dedieu of the CFDT general workers' union told the BBC. |
| People had the feeling they were paying for a crisis they were not responsible for, he added. | People had the feeling they were paying for a crisis they were not responsible for, he added. |
| But earlier in the week French Finance Minister Eric Woerth condemned the strike organisers, accusing them of scare-mongering during a time of economic uncertainty. | But earlier in the week French Finance Minister Eric Woerth condemned the strike organisers, accusing them of scare-mongering during a time of economic uncertainty. |
| "There are other ways to make oneself heard than striking," he said. | "There are other ways to make oneself heard than striking," he said. |
| "Blocking a country, preventing transport from working, bothering people when they are still extraordinarily worried and fearful of the future, is adding fear on top of fear, worry on top of worry." | "Blocking a country, preventing transport from working, bothering people when they are still extraordinarily worried and fearful of the future, is adding fear on top of fear, worry on top of worry." |
| Will you be taking part in the strike? Will you be affected by this action? Send us your comments using the form below: | |
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