Transport misery goes on for French commuters

Wavering resolve by unions sapped some momentum from France’s transport strike today as it entered a third full day.

Many commuters again had to resort to foot, bicycle or roller-skates, or gamble on getting on one of the reduced number of cramped buses, trains or underground trains across the country.

The strike centres on a protest over President Nicolas Sarkozy’s promise to strip away benefits that allow some public sector workers to retire earlier than most other workers with full benefits.

The walkout has shaped up as the biggest labour test of Mr Sarkozy’s six-month tenure and his pledge to modernise France and compete better in the globalised world economy.

He agreed to an offer by the powerful CGT union for government-sponsored talks between unions and managers, but he refused to yield on the crux of his reform - requiring everybody to work 40 years to receive full retirement benefits, instead of the 37 and a half years currently worked by privileged sectors, notably transport and utilities.

The conservative president insisted that the French handed him a solid mandate in presidential elections earlier this year and has used that argument with unions.

Presidential spokesman David Martinon said: “Our red lines are known. They haven’t changed.”