Paris rail employees strike over Olympics bonuses with Games simply two months away | EUROtoday

Issued on: 21/05/2024 – 12:07Modified: 21/05/2024 – 12:05

1 min

Drivers walked off the job on most RER and different commuter traces, that are used day by day by tens of millions of employees dwelling within the capital’s suburbs, inflicting main delays and large visitors jams.

“I left two hours earlier than normal to make sure I was on time,” restaurant employee Anne-Sophie Collier advised AFP and she or he arrived in central Paris on Tuesday morning after an uncomfortable journey on a packed prepare.

Unions representing employees throughout the general public sector have launched strikes or are threatening to with a purpose to demand further pay or assist for having to work over the July 26-August 11 Games, which fall in the course of the conventional summer season vacation in France.

Police, air visitors controllers, Paris garbage collectors, central authorities staff, metro drivers and firefighters have all made pay calls for, with the federal government beneath stress to stop disruption spoiling the occasion.

Workers on the nationwide mint, which is producing the medals, have additionally been on strike, however administration insists that manufacturing stays on monitor.

“It’s intolerable that a few privileged people are able to take France hostage very, very regularly,” senior Republicans senator Bruno Retailleau advised Sud Radio, echoing criticism from many right-wing and far-right lawmakers over Tuesday’s walk-out.

“The right to strike is constitutional, but so is the right to have minimum public services,” he added.

Tuesday’s strike got here at some point forward of a roundtable between prepare drivers on the SNCF community and administration to debate Olympics bonuses, with the stoppages seen as a stress tactic.

Several unions representing employees at Paris airports additionally introduced a strike on Tuesday however the stoppages appeared to have had little affect.

“All flights will be able to operate,” a spokesman for the airport working firm advised AFP.

(AFP)