For Euro 2016, French President 'begs' people to stop striking

(Baonghean.vn) - The French President wants the tournament to go smoothly to strengthen his position as well as to win the right to host the Olympics in 2024.

The CGT union blocks the entrance to a waste treatment center in Ivry-sur-Seine, near Paris, on June 11. Photo: AP.

François Hollande has appealed to strikers to limit disruption to public services during the Euro 2020 in France, amid shutdowns of trains, waste treatment plants and some oil refineries.

The French president did not say briefly that the government would force train drivers to return to work, but affirmed that public services would be guaranteed and hinted that union members who organized strikes and protests would have to take responsibility… so that this wonderful event can become a popular public holiday.”

The unpopular Socialist Party leader, hoping to run again next year, wants Euro 2016 to go smoothly, thereby strengthening the government's position, fuelling the gloom in the country - alongside Paris' bid to host the 2024 Olympics.

Piles of rotting rubbish littered the streets of Paris and Marseille and cancelled trains and flights became a headache for France as it prepared to welcome more than 2 million foreign tourists for the multi-day event.

The mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo, pledged on June 11 that all the rubbish would be cleared from now on because it was piling up on the sidewalks in more than half of the neighborhoods, including popular tourist spots on the left bank.

Piles of uncollected garbage in the capital Paris, Photo: SIPA.

Major waste disposal sites in the Paris region have been blockaded by strikers from the hardline CGT union for more than 10 days as part of long-running protests against government proposals to relax rigid labor protections. Garbage collectors and truck drivers have also joined in.

Public sector waste workers who have been on strike for days have vowed to continue their protests until at least June 14, but the city has added more garbage trucks and used private companies to begin cleaning up on June 11. “It’s clear that this will take a few days,” Hidalgo said.

The challenge will be finding a place to dump the rubbish as strikers continue to block the main waste treatment plant serving the Paris area.

Baptiste Talbot of the CGT union told the AP that Mr. Hidalgo’s push to clean up the trash immediately was “a little optimistic,” but did not oppose the move. “We put pressure by striking, but we are very sensitive to sanitation issues,” he said.

Garbage also piled up in the southern port city of Marseille as its main waste treatment centre remained blocked. Strikes continued in several other towns in the southwest.

Workers at the state-owned rail company, SNCF, are on strike for the 10th day over working conditions. Trains are running across France, with four out of five TGV high-speed trains running on schedule, but there are still disruptions to some services, including Paris' two main commuter lines, the RER B and D, which serve the Stade de France national stadium, where Euro 2016 will be held.

Railway authorities have promised extra trains to carry the 70,000 people who will be attending the game. Subway services to stations near the stadium will not be affected.

Transport Minister Alain Vidalies said that if traffic problems worsen on June 12, the government will consider using extraordinary measures to force train operators back to work.

Asked on Europe 1 whether images of rotting rubbish being broadcast worldwide would affect the bid to host the 2024 Olympics, Vidalies quipped: “I didn’t see any rats on the way here.”

Air France pilots will begin a four-day strike on June 12 over pay and working conditions, leading to the cancellation of 20% of flights. A quarter of medium-haul flights and a tenth of long-haul and domestic flights will be cancelled.

Euro 2016 organiser Jacques Lambert told France Inter radio he felt the strike was a real threat to the tournament, saying: “The picture that is being presented is not what we want.”

Thao Linh

(According to the Guardian)