Factbox: Unions vs Macron: French pension strikes snarl trains, close schools

North Atlantic Energies SA

19/01/2023 11:30

PARIS, Jan 19 (Reuters) - French workers across the
private and public sectors joined  nationwide strikes on
Thursday, snarling the rail network, closing schools and halting
refinery deliveries.
    Here's where the impact is being felt:
    RAILWAYS, BUSES, METRO     
    National train services and bus and metro operations in
Paris were severely disrupted.  
    State-run railway operator SNCF said as few as one in five
high-speed TGV services and only one in 10 regional trains were
scheduled to run. There were also heavy cancellations on Paris
suburban train lines. 
    International traffic on the Eurostar and Thalys lines were
scheduled to run at near-normal levels. 
    AIR TRAVEL
    The aviation regulator has asked airlines to cancel one in
five flights to and from Orly airport, the French capital's
second biggest. It has not sought cancellations elsewhere.
    Nationally, Air France said it was able to operate all its
long-haul flights and 90% of its short and medium-haul flights. 
    ENERGY
    Electricity output was down by 7.8 GW early in the morning -
roughly 12% of total supply capacity - prompting imports from
neighbouring countries.
    Deliveries were blocked from refineries operated by
TotalEnergies  TTEF.PA  refineries. 
    Esso France, the local unit of Exxon Mobil  XOM.N , said its
Gravenchon refinery was operating and making shipments as usual.
 Its Fos refinery was operating at a nominal level and truck
loading operations were suspended, though the company said
trucks could access third-party loading facilities. 
    TotalEnergies said there should be no shortages in fuel pump
stations if the strikers maintained their calendar schedule.
    The hard-left CGT's refinery federation has announced a
further 48-hour strike next week and a 72-hour strike the week
after. 
    EDUCATION
    Some 65% of high school teachers went on strike, the SNES
FSU union said. The Education Ministry said just 35% of high
school teachers joined the industrial action, and 42% of primary
school teachers.
    FINANCE
    The banking and financial industry branch of the FO union
called on employees to join the strike.
    HEALTH
    Doctors and nurses joined the strike. French law compels
medics and other critical public services to guarantee a minimum
level of cover. 
    LOGISTICS
    The FO union of truck drivers and other logistics workers
has announced an "indefinite" strike from Thursday.
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French unions dig in for pension battle    https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/french-unions-dig-pension-battle-with-macron-2023-01-18/
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 (Editing by Richard Lough and Nick Macfie)
 ((tassilo.hummel@thomsonreuters.com ; Twitter handle:
@tassilo_hummel;))