Traffic congestion as French workers strike

Trains, planes and buses slowed to a fraction of regular traffic as workers across France walked off the job today in a nationwide strike against a new jobs law.

Sluggish commutes rang in the start to a day on which thousands of people were preparing to take to the streets for about 200 planned protests across France - or stay home for a one-day strike.

Other recent protests over the government’s youth jobs law have turned violent, and police were stepping up surveillance on the rail network.

The strike and protests were a major test for Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin in a crucial week in his ongoing stand-off with opponents of the so-called first job contract – his recipe to reduce sky-high youth unemployment levels in France. Many opponents fear it will damage coveted job security.

Labour and student groups vowed further strikes and protests – which have shut down many universities in recent weeks – unless the government cancels the new labour law, which is to take effect next month. The dispute could weigh on presidential elections next year.

An array of public service workers, including bus and subway drivers, air traffic controllers, utility workers and unemployment office staff, joined the strike.

About seven in 10 Metro trains were running in Paris, but commuter trains were as few as one in two. Public transportation was disrupted in 76 cities and towns, LCI television reported.

Air France noticed some disruptions to flight traffic. One flight in three was cancelled at airports nationwide, according to the national civil aviation authority.

News-stands were empty of national dailies. State-run radio France-Info, a top source of daily news for the French, broadcast only music. France-2 television broadcast its morning show in a smaller-than-usual studio, with some technicians on strike.

Even for those who did want to get to work, commutes were troublesome.

The strike got people talking. Arguments and discussions over the contract and the walkout were common at bakeries, cafes and open-air markets across the country.

Total bottlenecks outside Paris this morning trailed about 80 miles – about twice the average levels, the national roads information centre said.

But many French people, accustomed to sporadic strikes, have learned how to prepare – by either taking holiday or lieu days, using cars to get to work, or staggering their hours around peak times.

The law, set to take effect next month, would let companies dismiss workers under 26 without cause in their first two years on the job. The government hopes the greater flexibility will encourage companies to hire young workers, who face a 22 per cent jobless rate.

In a renewed effort to break the stand-off, Villepin yesterday made a new offer to meet with students and unions tomorrow, a day after the protests, “to advance and get out of the current crisis”.

Most major unions want the measure withdrawn before any talks begin, and quickly refused the offer to “improve” it.