France soon to be “at a standstill”? Two days before a new day of mobilization against the pension reform, the inter-union is counting on massive and even renewable strike movements in all sectors. The truckers did not wait for March 7 and are announcing actions against the government bill this Sunday.
“It can be snail operations, blockades of industrial zones, distribution of leaflets at roundabouts. We realized that when we gave information, there was the police before us, today we are waiting for the last moment for the information to be disseminated, ” thus assures BFMTVPatrice Clos, General Secretary FO-Transports.
“The 7th is going to be hard”
The SNCF and the RATP must communicate the forecasts Sunday at 5 p.m., but “major disturbances” have already been announced by Ile-de-France Mobilités (IDFM), the transport authority in the Ile-de-France region. In anticipation, the Minister of Transport Clément Beaune called on Friday all French people who can to telework. “The 7th is going to be tough,” he admitted.
IDFM has also reinstated a carpooling subsidy system, free for all passengers. International connections should also be affected. On the Thalys side, “traffic will be disrupted and all customers have been notified”, said a spokeswoman on Saturday evening.
In the air, the General Directorate of Civil Aviation (DGAC) has asked companies to reduce their flight schedules on Tuesday and Wednesday, by 20% at Paris-Charles-de-Gaulle and 30% at Paris-Orly , Beauvais, Bordeaux, Lille, Lyon, Nantes, Marseille, Montpellier, Nice and Toulouse. “Air France plans to operate nearly 8 out of 10 flights, including all of its long-haul flights,” the company said, “however, last-minute delays and cancellations cannot be ruled out.”