What is Sarkozy supposed to win? He already dropped 9 points in last week's opinion polls and has suddenly become much more timid on certain subjects. Reality bites.

#<i>From the little I have read and asked locals (who work in the private and public sectors (have a friend who is an ex-EDF exployee, retired at 50 on full pension and loving it! He's 53 now)</i>#

Crap. Read more and asked somebody else.
Retirement age at EDF is 55 or 60 depending on the job (that would be 60 for someone working in an office, 55 for a technician working in a nuclear plant)

However, it's true that EDF employees get some interesting benefits - and I understand your envy - but that doesn't explain why France produces the cheapest electricity in Europe.

<i>#They work 35 hours a week, 8 weeks holidays.</i>#

I'm a civil servant (postal worker). I work 35 hours/week and get 5 weeks of vacation just like any other employee from the private sector in France.

4 or 5 weeks of paid vacation per year is the norm in most of the developed countries you know..

#<i>These public servants for the SNCF, RATP, EDF, some theatre works (Comedie Francaise), government employees from cleaning staff to high managment can retire at 50 years of age with full pension until they pass away (85% of their old salaries)</i>#

Without going into the details (I have other things to do), the retirement age for the majority of civil servants and workers of the public sector is 60.
In my case <b>IF</b> nothing changes I should be able to retire at 60 but I will have to work one or two years more to get full pension.

#<i>Each day they strike is added payment to their retirement plan and they get paid for the days they take off to strike PLUS get their travel fare re-imbursed to get to the strikes by their company afterwards.</i>#
And what else? A grant from the company? A promotion?

#<i>Workers assigned from outside of Paris have free accommodation in beautiful apartments in prime real-estate (was invited to one recently and it looked like a mini-Versailles).</i>#

I started my career in Paris in 1977. Lodging was provided by the Post (not for free!) for two months max.
You should have seen the room that I shared with four of my colleagues on Karl Marx street in Bobigny (Paris's banlieue). Versailles paled in comparison.
--
One thing that I don't understand with you guys is how you can at once, rejoice over the &quot;decline of France&quot;, our &quot;economy in shambles&quot; etc.., and in the same time wish that a providencial man - Sarkozy currently - &quot;will put France back on the right track&quot;

Bookmarking for upcoming trip Oct 17-24. Thanks for the updates, kerouac.

&gt;&gt; SNCF works get a coal allowance (something pre-dating the war), which the government would like to get rid of plus other allowances from when the steam trains were running. &lt;&lt;

Rubbish.

The so-called <b>coal allowance</b>, which was abandoned ages ago, was awarded to engineers who managed to use less coal than the planned amount while ensuring that their trains would run on time.

Whew! I'll be there the week afterwards. Thanks for the warning.

I cannot imagine the strike itself being any more fun than this thread!

The ideological line has been drawn in the sand. Let the battle begin! (Sorry, tourists -- you'll just be our collateral damage!)

Any chance the strike may be called off?

Does the strike affect the Metro in Paris also? I assume RER will be on strike?

The metro and RER will also be on strike that day. The RATP website will give operational percentages hour by hour on the day of the strike. It looks like this:
line 1 - 80%
line 2 - no service
line 3 - 50%
line 4 - 25%
etc.

Believe it or not, each metro line has its own union section (not forgetting of course that most employees are not unionized, but many will join the strike anyway), which explains why service is different on every line.

Meanwhile, functionaries (social service offices, etc.) have decided not to strike on October 18th. They will have their own strike day in November.

The SNCF just released its first estimate on train service on the 18th. They are expecting to maintain between 25% and 35% of trains that day.

Update, 5 October: some of the unions are calling for an extended train strike on October 18. The majority of unions are still planning a one day strike.

A couple of postal unions and an employment office union may join the strike on the 18th.

I've heard that striking is sort of a national past time in Paris. Do they usually get over quickly or do they drag on for months like they do here in the states. We will be in Paris 11/16~11/24. Hopefully settled by then?

I'm writing from <i>Bonnieux</i>, in <i>Provence</i>. We'll be traveling to Paris from <i>Avignon</i> on Oct. 20, so we're following this thread on the upcoming strike.

We dropped a friend off at the central railroad station in <i>Avignon</i> this morning. While we were there, I went up to the &quot;<i>Accueil</i>&quot; window, and asked the SNCF representative there whether he thought there was much chance that the strike would last more than one day.

For whatever it's worth (perhaps this is the official position), he stated extremely firmly that the strike would last only one day, and that with a ticket two days later, I had nothing to worry about.

We'll see. Kerouac, what's your take on this? How does the TGV fit in to all this (what &quot;Line&quot; are they)?

- Larry

On the 18th I will need to get from the Marais to Orly for a 9:30 a.m. departure. Can anyone suggest a better transport bet than relying on strike-level frequencies of metro or RER service? Thanks.

taxi will be your best bet..........

I am guessing this does not affect the Eurostar? I am taking the Eurostar from London to Paris October 22.

<b>kerouac</b> or anyone-

I'm still confused as to what will be on strike on Oct 18 and what will not be?

Is it correct that all SNCF will be on strike?

RER &amp; metro will <b>not</b> be on strike but will have <b>reduced</b> service?

Is RER-C operated by SNCF or by RATP? I'm trying to find out if it is possible at all or not to go to Versailles on RER-C that day?

Thanks!

SNCF will be on strike. RATP will be on strike. RER B north of Gare du Nord, RER C, RER D and RER E are operated by the SNCF. RER A and RER B south of Gare du Nord are operated by the RATP. Municipal buses are RATP.

On a strike day, except for the super extreme ones, 'some' of everything will be operating. Maybe 20%, maybe 50%, maybe 80%. One never can know ahead of time because fewer than 10% of workers are unionized in France (more in transportation, but that's relative), and it is extremely hard to calculate what workers will do on the day in question. It will all be a surprise, even the Eurostar.

When service cannot be maintained at 20% at least, it is generally closed down, because of crowd security.

It is starting to look as though the strike may last for more than one day. No real predictions yet. French workers, even unionized ones, do not know the meaning of the word 'discipline' in strikes, so a back-to-work order can be ignored, or union members can work even if the union has called a strike. There are very rarely any lock-out strikes.

So Kerouac, it would affect the Eurostar coming from London if they went on strike? I am sorry, I am not familiar with all these terms and abbreviations ....

How do the Parisians get around on the day of strike?

I guess we'll just have to play it by ear. Maybe no Versailles on this trip.