France is suffering travel chaos after transport unions broadened a strike in protest against President Nicolas Sarkozy's pension reforms. Train, subway and bus workers joined an open-ended walk-out. Hundreds of kilometres of traffic jams were reported on roads into the capital. State-run gas and electricity sectors workers are also protesting. The government and the unions have resumed talks but the transport stoppage could last for several days.
The BBC's Alasdair Sandford in Paris says that with students, teachers, civil servants and even magistrates threatening strike action over separate issues, the fear for the government is that this becomes a general wave of protest against economic hardship.
Labour Minister Xavier Bertrand warned that Wednesday would be "a hellish day for travellers and perhaps for many days beyond that". That view was echoed by Prime Minister Francois Fillon who told parliament: "Millions of French people will be deprived of their fundamental freedom, the freedom of movement and even perhaps to work."
| 'SPECIAL' PENSIONS Benefits 1.6m workers, including 1.1m retirees Applies in 16 sectors, of which rail and utilities employees make up 360,000 people Account for 6% of total state pension payments Shortfall costs state 5bn euros (£3.5bn; $6.9bn) a year Some workers can retire on full pensions aged 50 Awarded to Paris Opera House workers in 1698 by Louis XIV |
Our correspondent says Parisians have been improvising in their battle to get to work - driving in earlier than usual, car sharing or taking to bikes and roller blades.
Rail employees stopped work at 2000 (1900 GMT) on Tuesday. Only 90 of the country's 700 high-speed TGV trains are said to be running. Commuter train services are also severely reduced. The metro service in Paris is running at 20% capacity, metro operator RATP said. Bus services are also affected.
Eurostar has said the first train services from London's new St Pancras terminal will be unaffected by the industrial action.
Gas and electricity workers joined their striking rail colleagues on Wednesday threatening targeted blackouts, as their pension schemes are also facing reform.
Mr Sarkozy wants to cut pensions that allow some public employees to retire on a full pension as early as 50 and says he is determined to stay the course, despite the strike threat. "I will carry out these reforms right to the end. Nothing will put me off my goal," he told the European Parliament during a visit to Strasbourg, reminding everyone that he was elected on a reform mandate. "The French people approved these reforms. I told them all about it before the elections so that I would be able to do what was necessary afterwards," AFP quoted him as saying.
But a spokesman for the CGT trade union disagreed with Mr Sarkozy's logic. "If reforms for the French citizen means that they are going to be working more and getting less pension at the end of the deal, I'm not quite sure all the French are agreeing with this approach," Oliver Sekai told the BBC.
Analysts say that Mr Sarkozy's resolve to stand up to France's powerful unions now faces a real test and his reputation rides on his success. And though he has promised he will stand firm against the strikes, they say, at the same time he will be anxious to avoid the kind of street protests which occurred in 1995 when the French government last tried to reform the pension system.