Sarkozy has his hands full, as the mayhem spreads throughout the country. So much for the workers' paradise:
The national rail service, S.N.C.F., blamed the fires on a “concerted act of sabotage” and said there were several blazes along rail lines, including one that damaged 30 kilometers of a signal network.That's right - it's all about discrediting the profession Monsieur Thibault. What about safety, security, and the fact that you've got members of your union destroying government property and putting lives in jeopardy? Well, speaking of putting lives in jeopardy, you've got walkouts by other unions, including firefighters:
S.N.C.F. also reported the deliberate shutting of signal switches and arson attacks on cables.
Dominique Bussereau, the state secretary of transport, denounced the fires as “grave and reprehensible” acts that appeared to be coordinated.
Top union officials also condemned the arson attacks. Bernard Thibault, secretary general of the CGT union, told the Europe 1 radio station that to attack the rail lines during a social conflict was "certainly destined to bring discredit to the profession."
Along with rail managers, two representatives of the labor ministry and the state transport secretariat were involved in negotiations today. The government’s participation was one of the key demands of unions.The unions are so deeply entrenched in the past, that any change is fought tooth and nail. Violence is not uncommon in the French work disputes.
On Tuesday, President Nicolas Sarkozy broke his silence on the strike and urged transport workers to return to work. On that day, civil service employees, including primary school teachers, firefighters, newspaper printers and weather service employees, walked out in a separate dispute over job cuts.
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