French strike on plan to raise retirement age

Neighbouring countries suffered along with French commuters, as walkouts by drivers delayed or cancelled trains from Italy and Switzerland. Some flights were dropped or delayed.

Crowds of protesters filled Marseille's port and wide Paris avenues, as unions staged nearly 200 marches in several cities over a broad reform to the money-losing pension system, part of efforts around Europe to cut back on growing public debts.

"Sarkozy, Don't Touch our Pensions!" read one banner at the Paris march, near a cardboard coffin marked: "Here lies Roger. He's 60, and he died before getting his retirement."

France has one of Europe's lowest retirement ages, allowing workers to retire at 60 in most sectors.

The government says the reform to the money-losing pension system is an "obligation," given France's burgeoning deficit and its ageing population.

Unions say money for the pension system should come from higher taxes or charges on those who are still working, and see cost-cutting in the pension system as an attack on a hard-fought way of life.

Commuters, meanwhile, made do, some cramming into sweaty, overcrowded buses and subway trains.

Hundreds of passengers were stranded at Rome's main train station when the overnight train to Paris was cancelled because of the strike.

Authorities were putting the passengers on buses instead. Swiss national railway company SBB said about 60 per cent of trains between France and Switzerland have been cancelled because of the strike.

The French civil aviation authority, DGAC, asked airlines to cancel 15 per cent of their flights out of Paris's Charles de Gaulle and Orly airports because of strikes by air traffic controllers. Air France said long-haul flights would remain unaffected.

Commuter Stephanie Larcher, a 29-year-old town planner, from Buressuryvette, in the outskirts of Paris, said she had to add an extra hour onto her daily four-hour journey.

"I find it completely irritating, especially because train workers go on strike for any little thing," she said.

About 20 per cent of French teachers were on strike, and utility workers, postal and dock workers, staff at planemaker Airbus and some hospitals also took part in the one-day walkout.

Bernadette Douisson, the secretary general of the FSU union, said the French government's real concern should be boosting employment in a country where large numbers of young people and seniors can't get jobs.

The reform is due to be brought in progressively and will also stretch out the total number of years people have to work to win full pension payments.

The cabinet is to discuss the proposals in July, and they are expected to go before parliament next autumn.