Trains, planes and dole hit by strike

RAIL workers, job centre staff and France Telecom employees are out on strike today – with more industrial action expected in the coming week, including a proposed walkout by Eurostar.

The strike by ground handlers at Paris Orly airport’s south terminal, which has affected Easyjet flights for the past week, has now spread.

Vehicle access to the whole airport was blocked yesterday, forcing passengers to reach the terminal on foot. Some workers at the west terminal have also walked out, affecting Air France flights.

Easyjet flights out of Orly are still disrupted today, with a number of cancellations and other services taking off and landing from Charles de Gaulle with a bus shuttle service in operation.

Baggage handlers at Charles de Gaulle terminal one have gone on a solidarity strike, although this is only delaying luggage reclaim at the moment and not the flights themselves.

The rail network is also severely disrupted today as a result of a nationwide strike by the SNCF. The average level of service on most of the TER (regional express) network and long-distance TGV and Corail services is about 50% although this varies from region to region.

Eurostar is running a normal service today, but a trade union representing 40% of staff has issued a strike warning for next Tuesday.

The CFDT said it was not happy with proposed changes to working conditions when Eurostar changes its legal company status in January ahead of the opening up of the line to competition.

It is not yet clear what effect the planned strike will have on the service.

Most Pôle Emploi branches will be closed today as staff protest against changes to their working conditions. They say the number of jobseekers assigned to one adviser is too high and prevents staff offering a quality service.

France Telecom employees are to demonstrate outside their workplaces today after a series of25 suicides in less than two years. Management have started carrying out stress surveys among workers and have drafted in extra human resources staff to provide counselling and advice.

Useful sites and numbers
SNCF: 08 05 90 36 35, or www.gares-en-mouvement.com
Easyjet: 08 26 10 33 20
Air France: 3654
Aéroports de Paris