France and Germany face more rail strikes

FRANCE/GERMANY: France prepared for an extended rail strike from this week as both unions and government dug in over a pensions dispute that is shaping up as the first major battle over President Nicolas Sarkozy's economic reform plans.

Rail, public transport, electricity and gas unions plan their second nationwide strike in a month, with some warning of an indefinite stoppage to protest against plans to change the pension provisions of public sector transport workers.

The first strikes, on the rail network, are due to begin this morning. They will be followed tomorrow by Paris public transport workers and employees of electricity and gas companies.

Meanwhile, in Germany train drivers threatened fresh strikes from tomorrow in the absence of a better wage offer. Deutsche Bahn said last week's 42-hour freight strike was the most serious the country had experienced, adding it would take weeks for services to return to normal.

© 2007 Reuters

This article appears in the print edition of the Irish Times