Posted on 11/23/2007 11:08:35 PM PST by TigerLikesRooster
Sarkozy victorious as strike ends
By Ben Hall in Paris
Fri Nov 23, 7:10 PM ET
A nine-day strike by train drivers that crippled French public transport petered out on Friday, granting an important political victory to President Nicolas Sarkozy, but at a potential high cost for the state.
Services slowly returned to normal on the national rail network and the Paris metro system after unions finally agreed to end their protest against plans to cut special pension privileges and resume negotiations.
"I promised this reform and I have kept my promise," Mr Sarkozy said.
The president and his advisers were careful not to crow too loudly about their refusal to buckle to union pressure during the longest rail strike for 12 years.
The unions, employers and the government will be locked in negotiations for the next month over the details of the reform and compensation for employees.
Some union leaders said the strike was only "suspended". If the talks collapse, further stoppages are possible in the run-up to Christmas.
But the end of the strike is a symbolic win for the president, showing the government would not be cowed by a show of force by the unions.
A previous attempt in 1995 to reform the generous pension privileges enjoyed by 500,000 public-sector gas, electricity and transport workers collapsed after several weeks of mass strikes, a disaster from which Jacques Chirac's presidency never recovered.
Raymond Soubie, the president's influential social policy adviser and a key player in the dispute, paid tribute on Friday to the "spirit of responsibility" demonstrated by Bernard Thibault, leader of the leftwing CGT union, who agreed to resume talks at the beginning of the strike but then struggled to carry some of his members with him.
But on Friday there was a sense of resignation even among the most radical elements. Christian Mahieux, national leader of SUD-Rail, said he and his colleagues had "the feeling that we did everything we could" against the reform.
It remains unclear how much the path of compromise chosen by the unions will cost SNCF, the national rail company, and RATP, the Paris metro operator, as well as Electricité de France and Gaz de France.
The government has held firm on the principle of raising pension contribution periods to 40 years, indexing pensions to prices rather than wages and penalising those who retire early. But it has pressed state-owned employers to offer other pension benefits and higher salaries as compensation.
SNCF has said this compensation would cost the company EU80m-EU90m ($118m- $133m) a year from 2013.
Ping!
Shades of Magnus in the 80s with tower talkers
More like Thatcher. We need to supply the Magnus.
Vive Sarkozy.
He has the courage of his convictions and follows through.
We need some of this here.
My France bashing days are over.
Go, Sarko!
yes, I am not ashamed to be french anymore.
Now all we have to do is stop the socialists in this country.
It’s nice to see France (& Sarko) back on the “good foot”.
Regards
Yep, I am still in shock that the French elected such a man. Going from Chirac to Sarkozy is like going from Carter to Reagan. A complete 180 degree shift.
I am ready to adopt Sarkozy as President.
Now he can get back to playing footsies with Bush.
Sarkozy has read President Reagans biography, there can be no doubt of that.
Sarkozy ‘08
Pray for W and Our Victorious Freedom Fighters
France is developing a spine just as the UK and Australia seem to be losing theirs.
Not Spain.The Spanish are about as far left as you'll find in Europe.
Amazing changes in the World today. Canada and France (and Germany earlier) have swung more conservative, and US friendly, with England poised to follow suit. Looks like old Europe may be coming home as our partners again. BUT Australia (our most steady Allie along with the UK) has gone left, and who knows where the US will end up next year.
Interesting....
Signed: Ward, June’s husband.
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