Strike idles commuter trains in France
A 24-hour public transit strike protesting early retirement legislation in France created mayhem for commuters Thursday.
In Paris, the only subway line running was an automated one that doesn't require a driver, and just 80 of 600 national train services were operating, the International Herald Tribune reported.
City buses were out of service in the strike, which began at 8 p.m. Wednesday, and just six of the 50 Eurostar scheduled train services to London were running.
Paris streets were jammed with cars and there were no bicycles to be seen at the city's communal stands, the report said.
Various unions warned the strike could be prolonged to protest conservative French President Nicolas Sarkozy's planned overhaul of mandatory retirement legislation, the report said.
Sarkozy was in Portugal Thursday for an EU summit. // Copyright 2007 by United Press International
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