Government Mobilizes, Strikers Harden Stance
Strikes: It'll Be Worse Monday' - Headline from France-Soir
Richard Erickson's Paris Journal - Freelance Correspondent to the Paris Pages
All images copyright (c) December 1995 Richard Erickson - used with permission
Paris, Sunday, 3. December 1995:- First the good news: A 36 year old
bank employee won 69 million francs last night (about 13,7 million
dollars) with a simple Loto bulletin costing 32 francs; with numbers
chosen by the Loto's computer system called 'Loto Flash.' As the winner
is not from the Paris area, he may have little difficulty in getting to
work tomorrow.
As result of a 90 minute ministerial meeting presided over by the
Prime Minister, Alain Juppe; the government announced today that it was
ordering a thousand to 1500 private buses, to ferry workers from the
suburbs to the city. In normal times public transport moves 3 million
people daily in the Paris region, so the buses are thought to be not
much more than a goodwill gesture. In addition to the buses, the
'bateaux-mouches' have also been pressed into a service on the Seine,
between the Maison du Radio and the Pont d'Austerlitz. The sightseeing
boats can carry an average of a thousand passengers per trip.
The airport buses of Air France and Air Liberty have been taking
non-flying passengers between stops they routinely make in Paris.
Public transport users are spending the weekend organizing car pools as
best they can. Bicycle sales have boomed, but the resupply of stock is
uncertain.
Meanwhile, the regional transport services SNCF-RER-RATP are not
expected to be in operation on Monday. Talks with the minister
responsible, Bernard Pons, were fruitless. There are some 'Eurostar'
trains running to London and Brussels, but their timetables are
irregular.
The strike is liable to spread to Paris' airports, with both
Charles-de-Gaulle and Orly being threatened with occupation of the
runways. Stewards and air hostesses have announced an intention to
strike, starting Thursday, 7. December.
The services of France Telecom are likely to be disturbed, although an
outright strike has not been yet called.
Electricity cuts are foreseen, with half the nuclear production plants
on strike and some of the hydro generators. EDF workers in north
Finistere have announced electricity at half-price to all consumers
until further notice. EDF has been forced to import electricity.
Half of La Poste's sorting centers are on strike, although this is
supposed to involve only nine percent of the personnel according to the
management. There are plans in Paris to block the movements of postal
trucks carrying mail to and from sorting centers and the airports.
The university students continue their strikes throughout France.
Strikes have been proposed for a variety of other public-sector
organizations : Schools, Tax inspection and collection, Social Security,
the airports and the airlines, hospitals, doctors, Customs, the Bank of
France, autoroutes and truck drivers, and prison workers. Unions have
also called for strikes at all units of state automobile manufacturer
Renault.
This weekend has seen the beginning of talks between the various
striker's organizations, and representatives of the government. So far,
no positive results have been announced. Unions leaders, have, in
contrast, called for a variety of 'general' strikes on several dates
next week and in the weeks that follow.
Return to Richard Erickson's Paris Journal
Updated 12/95
