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France Braces for More Strikes

12 October 2010 04:43 (UTC +04:00)

Baku â€“ APA. France is facing major transportation problems Tuesday as unions begin open-ended strikes to protest pension reforms, APA reports quoting â€œThe Voice of Americaâ€.
Plane, train and metro service will be affected.
Teachers and post office workers are also expected to stay off the job and unions warn of power cuts targeting public buildings.
An open-ended strike is renewable by a daily vote of workers.
Unions are angry over planned pension reforms. On Monday, the Senate approved raising Franceâ€™s retirement age for a full state pension from 65 to 67 years.
Last week, it passed a bill last raising the minimum retirement age from 60 to 62.
President Nicloas Sarkozy says pension reform is necessary to help cut the budget deficit.
Workers at Franceâ€™s busiest oil port blocked 56 ships from unloading their cargo Monday as a strike entered its third week.
The strike at the Fos-Lavera port has caused a partial shutdown of Total oil companyâ€™s La Mede refinery.