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New French strikes hit commuters
PARIS, France -- A new wave of strikes on Tuesday slashed train services and caused huge traffic jams across France. Public sector workers walked off the job over the government's controversial pension reforms. Postal workers, bank employees hospital staff and police workers were also joining the protest. About one in three services were high-speed services between the country's cities, French railways SNCF said. Metro traffic in Paris was erratic with some lines running and other were not, the Paris transport authority RATP said. As commuters switched to cars traffic authorities counted 300 km (200 miles) of tailbacks around Paris. Not all unions were involved in strike actions at airports and airline but the country's DGAC civil aviation authority said there would be some delays however normal service is assured. About 40 cities were affected by the strike action, including Marseille and Bordeaux, where garbage piled up as sanitary workers were in their eighth day of strikes. There were no subway services in Marseille. The strikes coincide with the parliamentary debate on the pension reforms, which will be opened by Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin. About 9,000 amendments have already been filed to the proposals. But Raffarin has vowed to push through the proposals to keep the pension system afloat. Without the reform, the government says there will be a 43 billion euro (US$50.4 billion) shortfall by 2020. The reform plans call on public sector workers to work for 40 years, up from 37.5 years, before they collect a pension. The adjustment would put them in line with their counterparts in the private sector. But by 2020, the government plans to increase the length of time people in the public and private sector work to 42 years. "We no longer have time" to change the pension system, Social Affairs Minister Francois Fillon was quoted by The Associated Press as saying on France's RTL Radio. "The French must open their eyes and look around at what is happening. There is not another European country that has chosen as modest an increase" in work years as France. Teachers staged their 11th strike on Tuesday since the start of the academic year in September and were already considering fresh action on June 12, timed to coincide with the start of France's high school leaving exam, the baccalaureat. Teachers are concerned Raffarin's plans to decentralise power will harm education by handing over responsibility for hiring some staff to regional authorities. Copyright 2003 CNN. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Associated Press contributed to this report.
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