2008 Woodie Awards
Transportation strike cripples France
Tim May
Issue date: 12/7/07 Section: World
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On Nov. 13, workers all over Paris went on strike and shut down the convenient train network for nine days. They demanded better retirement benefits and better working conditions. This transportation strike also stopped busses, taxis, and closed about one-third of the nation's universities.
Workers ranging from the technicians at the Paris Opera house to gas station employees united on the streets of Paris throughout the week. According to the Washington Post, the strike affected all Parisians, forcing them to use bicycles, inline skates, scooters, and sneakers to get to work.
According to French professor Maria Bobroff, the transportation strike is an effective means to get your voice heard.
"France has a long history of public support for workers' unions," Bobroff said. "Those governing railways are among the most influential. Massive transportation strikes paralyzed the nation in the 1990's, and those unions no doubt thought they could affect change - by stopping commerce again."
The demands of the workers were aimed at President Sarkozy, who was elected to reform the French workplace and to make it more competitive in the global marketplace.
"I will pursue these reforms to the end," said Sarkozy to the European Parliament. "Nothing will blow me off course."
The transportation strike gave opportunities for other groups to vocalize their conflict. Students across France began to strike against university reforms that they fear would lead to the privatization of their education.
According to Bobroff, the accumulation of students and workers is an effective strategy that will put pressure on Sarkozy.
"There's strengths in numbers, after all," Bobroff said. "Although the students' concerns are different from the workers', they stem from the same source - Sarkozy's efforts at reforming France."
The amount of workers engaged in the strikes was massive, but they weren't fully supported by every one. According to a poll conducted by La Figaro, a French newspaper, seven out of ten people didn't support the strikes.
Workers ranging from the technicians at the Paris Opera house to gas station employees united on the streets of Paris throughout the week. According to the Washington Post, the strike affected all Parisians, forcing them to use bicycles, inline skates, scooters, and sneakers to get to work.
According to French professor Maria Bobroff, the transportation strike is an effective means to get your voice heard.
"France has a long history of public support for workers' unions," Bobroff said. "Those governing railways are among the most influential. Massive transportation strikes paralyzed the nation in the 1990's, and those unions no doubt thought they could affect change - by stopping commerce again."
The demands of the workers were aimed at President Sarkozy, who was elected to reform the French workplace and to make it more competitive in the global marketplace.
"I will pursue these reforms to the end," said Sarkozy to the European Parliament. "Nothing will blow me off course."
The transportation strike gave opportunities for other groups to vocalize their conflict. Students across France began to strike against university reforms that they fear would lead to the privatization of their education.
According to Bobroff, the accumulation of students and workers is an effective strategy that will put pressure on Sarkozy.
"There's strengths in numbers, after all," Bobroff said. "Although the students' concerns are different from the workers', they stem from the same source - Sarkozy's efforts at reforming France."
The amount of workers engaged in the strikes was massive, but they weren't fully supported by every one. According to a poll conducted by La Figaro, a French newspaper, seven out of ten people didn't support the strikes.
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