Christmas mayhem feared as French transport strike continues

PARIS — France reeled under a crippling public transport strike for a 10th day on Saturday aimed at forcing the government to scrap a pension revamp, as fears grew of travel mayhem during Christmas.

Train traffic was severely disrupted with only one out four high speed long-distance trains and three of 10 regional trains running across the country.

But Paris and its environs remained the worst hit. Nine metro lines in the capital remained closed and there were skeletal transport services between the city and its suburbs.

Only 60 per cent of the city's bus services were running.

Strikers have warned of similar disruptions on Sunday and Monday.

On Saturday, the managing director of the national rail operator SNCF Rachel Picard, told Le Parisien daily that "half of the passengers" would have trains to visit family for Christmas", but did not elabourate.

Unions are hoping for a repeat of 1995, when they forced a right-wing government to back down on pension reform after three weeks of metro and rail strikes just before Christmas.

The prospect of a protracted standoff has businesses fearing big losses during the crucial year-end festivities, and travellers worried that their holiday plans will fall through.

On Friday, Prime Minister Edouard Philippe asked SNCF chief Jean-Pierre Farandou to draw up a list of exactly which trains would be running during the festive season.

"If the government wants the conflict to end before the holidays, they have all of next week to take the wise decision and scrap the point-based pension plan," Laurent Blum, the general secretary of the hard-line CGT-Cheminots, the main SNCF union, told AFP.

Historic reform' 

The reform would do away with 42 separate regimes, some of which offer early retirement and other benefits to public sector workers such as train drivers, dockers and even Paris Opera employees.

The strike organisers have announced a massive protest for Tuesday when tens of thousands are expected to take to the streets again.

Meanwhile teachers, who have been mobilised since the start of the protest, on Friday gained guarantees from the government of salary reviews which would cost the state 10 billion euros. The details were not revealed.

Policemen, meanwhile, ended their protest on Friday after managing to get assurances that their early retirement scheme would be maintained, owing to the "dangerous" nature of their job.

Both Paris operas, the Garnier and the Bastille, cancelled on Friday performances, and more through the weekend.

President Emmanuel Macron's government insists the changes will make for a fairer system and help erase pension system deficits forecast to reach as much as 17 billion euros ($19 billion) by 2025.

The average French person retires at just over 60, years earlier than most in Europe or other rich OECD countries.

Prime Minister Philippe has held talks with union leaders and more negotiations are scheduled over the coming week.

Philippe on Friday struck a combative note, saying he "has absolutely no fear of implementing this reform".

Macron, who has maintained a studied silence since the protests began, told reporters in Brussels on Friday that it was a "historic reform", while expressing solidarity with those affected by the fallout.