France facing rail strike chaos

PARIS, France -- France's state railway bosses have warned travellers to expect further disruptions in train services after negotiations with strikers failed.

Talks between SNCF officials and union representatives on Thursday were unsuccessful in ending a week-long rail strike.

French transport unions, including the powerful CGT, went on strike over rail privatisation fears.

"We do not expect more than one train in three to run on Friday," SNCF chairman Louis Gallois said.

Rail traffic around the country was severely hit on Thursday as unions upped the ante in their fight for concessions on issues, including higher pay, more staff and guarantees over a controversial restructuring plan.

The dispute has already cost the SNCF approximately $137.5 million, according to national media reports.

French President Jacques Chirac said on Thursday he respected peoples' right to strike but thought the leftist government should guarantee a minimum service.

The strike coincided with key talks between unions and the SNCF state railway company on a restructuring plan and pay and staffing levels.

The restructuring plan, which unions suspect is a covert first step toward privatisation, is the main sticking point and most unions want to see it scrapped.

The strike caused chaos for commuters in the Paris area with fewer than one-third of suburban trains were running. Marseille, Lyon and Lille also saw significant disruption.

The Paris metro was not affected but all major roads leading to the capital were jam-packed during Thursday's morning rush hour.

The official road traffic monitoring service reported tailbacks of up to 17 kilometres (10 miles) on inbound roads, and 40 kilometres (25 miles) of traffic jam on the Paris ring road.

High-speed TGV train services between major cities were also affected, with no trains at all running between Paris and Lyon.

Eurostar rail links between Paris and London were disrupted and trains to Brussels were down to half their usual number. The company offered a full refund to travellers for the next two days.

Rail management made concessions on three key issues on Thursday, with an improved pay deal, an offer to take on 26,000 new staff over the next three years versus the 25,000 proposed and a delay in implementing the restructuring plan.

Reuters contributed to this report.

European rail strike leaves frustrated commuters stranded
November 23, 1998

See related sites about Europe

Note: Pages will open in a new browser window

External sites are not endorsed by CNN Interactive.