PARIS
French rail unions started a 24-hour nationwide strike Wednesday to protest against the French government’s plan to reform the rail system.
During the strike, regional trains will be affected, particularly in the Paris region and a third of the high-speed TGV trains will operate in certain parts of France.
Three out of four trains on the Thalys service to Belgium and the Netherlands will run and only half of the trains to Spain will run. The Eurostar trains to and from London will run normally, as will trains to Germany.
Unions fear that plans to reduce debt will be at the rail workers’ expense. They claim that the merger of two companies - the national rail operator SNCF and the company that manages the infrastructure of the major railway project RFF, does not go far enough in cost-cutting measures, resulting in the sell-off of profitable parts when it is privatized.
On Tuesday, Transport Minister Frederic Cuvillier said the railway sector's debt currently stood at more than 40 billion euros (US$54 billion), and would likely soar to €80 billion by 2025 if nothing was done to stem it.
A bill proposing the merger of the two government bodies will be debated in parliament next week.
Taxi drivers are also protesting as part of a Europe-wide day of action over the rise of internet taxi-app firms such as the American Uber company. The protest has been initiated by London black-cab drivers to try to stop the spread of the taxi-app company, which they accuse of unfair competition.
Four French rail trade unions are threatening to extend the strike if their demands are not answered.
www.aa.com.tr/en
