Strikes Planned for Paris on Thursday

Paris - Strikes Planned for Thursday Oct 18. Crap - what else is new!? No, but really this time it is a bit out of control. This from Expatica.com: http://www.expatica.com/actual/article.asp?subchannel_id=25&story_id=44964

France is bracing for a major transport strike on Thursday that will test President Nicolas Sarkozy's resolve to push through pension reform and confront unions who say worker benefits are under attack.

Unions of the state-owned SNCF rail company, the RATP Paris metro service and power utilities EDF and GDF have called for the one-day strike to protest plans to scrap pension privileges allowing some workers to retire as early as 50.

Delays are also expected at Paris airports, highway toll booths and in the urban transport services in more than 20 cities during the strike, dubbed "Black Thursday", according to France's biggest union, the CGT.

"We indeed expect there to be a very, very strong mobilisation" for the strike on Thursday, said presidential spokesman David Martinon. "We expect there to be major disruptions."
"There should be practically no trains, buses or metro," warned Employment Minister Xavier Bertrand.

Well, isn't that nice. Our driver service, owned by a very energetic and serious young man who works 70 hours per week in Paris is at a loss to handle the anticipated mess. The roads will be clogged and he can't get his drivers to do more to help those in need.

Honestly, some people really think they should be allowed to retire at age 50 with a lifetime of full pay to follow. Its one thing if you saved it up for yourself; but quite another to take it on the backs of hard working people like our driver service owner who will never know what is a pension!

So, arriving or departing in Paris this Thursday - just ahead of the World Cup Final? Bring your walking shoes!

L