French strikes over pension reform plans to disrupt public transport on Tuesday

PARIS - Industrial action in France over the government’s planned pensions overhaul will cause heavy disruption to public transport again on Tuesday, the transport minister and several public transport authorities said on Sunday.

For the sixth time since the start of the year, unions are calling for a nationwide day of strikes and rallies, aiming to repeat the

large turnout of the first major protest

on Jan 19, when more than a million people

marched against the pension reform.

“There will be very strong impacts,” Transport Minister Clement Beaune said in an interview with France 3 TV station, adding that he expected the strike to be “one of the most difficult ones” for travellers since the start of the protests. “For many it will be a real hassle.”

Some unions, like the hardline CGT, called for a rolling strike at refineries and at the national railway operator SNCF.

“We are moving up a gear,” the head of CGT, Mr Philippe Martinez, told French weekly JDD. “The ball is now in the President’s court. It is up to him to withdraw this reform,” he said, referring to President Emmanuel Macron.

Mr Macron’s government wants to raise the minimum retirement age to 64, from 62, saying it is vital to prevent the collapse of the pension system.

The strikes have already curbed power generation at some of utility company EDF’s nuclear plants.

SNCF said in a statement that it expected one high-speed train in five to run on Tuesday, and almost all of its regular Intercites trains to be cancelled.

RATP, the public transport operator for the Ile-de-France region around Paris, said metro lines and suburban trains will be heavily disrupted, with some metro lines only running at peak hours.

The aviation authority has asked airlines to reduce flights by 20 per cent at Paris Charles de Gaulle airport and by 30 per cent at Orly airport on Tuesday and Wednesday. REUTERS