France braced for transport strikes
French commuters face another round of disruptions tomorrow when employees of municipal transport services in more than 40 cities plan a one-day strike to demand a lower retirement age.
All major French cities except Paris were expected to be affected by the urban transport strike, the third since late March as unions press demands to retire at 55 instead of 60.
Buses, subways and trams in Marseille, Grenoble, Lyon and Nice were among the services expected to face major disruptions, organizers said.
The work stoppage was called to coincide with talks between union officials and management.
Both sides met on April 12 but were unable to reach an agreement that satisfied the four main unions involved in negotiations.
Paris’ bus and subways have been spared the strikes since the capital’s transport workers already have the right to retire by 55.
