French strikes roll on
France was today hit by the third day of a strike over retirement reform plans, disrupting train travel and raising concerns about a possible fuel shortage.
Paris public transport was closer to normal as most bus and subway drivers returned to work. But staff from the SNCF national rail authority stayed out, and strikers continued blocking oil refineries.
School pupils were blockading or otherwise disrupting schools around the country. A major student union planned rallies and a protest outside France’s main association of employers today.
President Nicolas Sarkozy wants to raise the retirement age from 60 to 62, saying it is the only way to save the money-losing pension system.
