As France set for a massive strike on Thursday against a planned pension reform, transport will be worst hit by the walkout, with flights, trains and buses cancelled and most of the Paris subway system coming to a halt.
While workers’ unions planned a march on Thursday in Paris, police warned on Wednesday of possible violence and damages and ordered all businesses, cafes and restaurants along the way to shut.
Authorities issued a ban on protests on the Champs-Elysees avenue, around the presidential palace, parliament and Notre Dame Cathedral.
Workers at the national railway SNCF planned to stop work on Wednesday evening at 7pm local time (1800 GMT), while other services will shut down starting on Thursday morning for an indefinite period if their demands are not met.
On Tuesday SNCF announced that only one high-speed train out of 10 will run across the country. Other services such as the Parisian metro will also be “disrupted”. International train lines will be affected, too.
With nationwide strikes predicted to be very disruptive from December 5th and travel to, from and within France is about to become much more difficult, tourists are cancelling their travel plans.
Unions representing rail workers, city public transport employees, hauliers, teachers, airline ground crew, air traffic controllers and postal workers are getting involved in this massive strike.
Public transport will face major disruption with
- 90 percent of trains cancelled on Thursday, December 5th
- 11 Paris Metro lines and numerous cancellations on buses, trams and RER
- 20 percent of flights cancelled on Thursday. Air France also said about 30% of its domestic flights will be cancelled.
