Little Christmas cheer for France as strike enters its 20th day

CGT union dockers and rail workers attend a Christmas lunch on December 24 2019 at the autonomous port of Marseille, on the 20th day of a nationwide multi-sector strike over French government's plan to overhaul the country's pension system. Picture: AFP/CHRISTOPHE SIMONChristmas Eve 2019 was an unusually gloomy one for France, as the 20th day of a transport strike left many scrambling to reach their loved ones for the traditional family feast on Tuesday, while others simply gave up.

Kady Dao said she will stay at home in a suburb southwest of Paris with her nine-month-old daughter, as her usual public transport route has been cut off. “I have no choice.” Between a third and two-thirds of trains to some European destinations were running. And in the capital, six of 16 Metro lines were closed, eight provided a much-reduced service, and only two — which are driverless — functioned as usual.

“This is horrible. These three weeks have been hard for me,” said Ristic Nevena, who works as a manager in Paris, and travels daily from Montfermeil about 17km away. She is obliged to take a different train from her usual one, with many connections, making her daily commute three or four hours longer.Juno Dormevil, a chemist, said his usual one-hour work commute now takes three hours each way, on an assortment of buses. ‘It’s a daily struggle.

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