CHRISTOPHE ARCHAMBAULT / AFP
For the strike of March 11, the metro will be less disrupted in Paris, but cancellations of trains and flights are to be expected.
STRIKE – Tens of thousands of demonstrators are expected in the streets this Saturday, March 11, and therefore many sectors will be disrupted. The inter-union wishing to “bring France to a standstill”, does not want to show signs of losing momentum for the 5th day of their renewable strike. The unions also want to put pressure on the government while the Senate has until midnight on Sunday March 12 to study the pension reform text.
After the success of the last mobilization on March 7, many employees from different sectors will continue the strike movement initiated. Disruptions in transport, especially in Paris, are expected, but to a lesser extent than in recent days. Cancellations of trains and flights are also to be expected. Le HuffPost make the point.
Fewer trains and planes
The SNCF planned traffic always “strongly disturbed” this weekend, without giving further details on the number of canceled trains. The group had called on all travelers to “cancel or postpone their trips on March 10 and the weekend”, while a renewable strike was launched on Tuesday at the call of all railway unions against the pension reform. Only one out of two trains circulated on average this Friday.
In the sky, flight cancellations and delays are to be expected, announced in a press release the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGAC), that The Parisian was able to consult. Specifically, there should be 20% of flights canceled at several airports in France. Orly, Marseille, Nantes, Toulouse and Bordeaux will be affected this Saturday.
Better in the metros in Paris
Traffic will be normal on most Paris metro lines on Saturday and only RER A and B will remain. disturbed », announced the RATP on Friday. Throughout the day, there will be only one out of two trains on RER A and two out of three on RER B (with interruption of the interconnection at Gare du Nord).
In the metro, traffic will be normal except for a few lines” : two out of three trains are scheduled on line 11 in the afternoon and three out of four trains on line 6, also in the afternoon. The traffic will be almost normal » on lines 8, 12 and 13, and “ normal » on all other lines, according to RATP forecasts.
The Régie also recalls that metro line 9 will be closed on Sunday. due to work”. As on previous days, the bus and tram networks will operate normally on Saturday, a new day of interprofessional demonstration.
Since Tuesday, the first day of the strike rather well followed, the situation has quickly improved in Parisian transport, revealing a fairly weak mobilization among RATP agents, unlike the 2019 strike against the previous pension reform project.
Refineries still blocked, new power cuts
On the fuel side, the Esso-ExxonMobil refinery in Fos-sur-Mer (Bouches-du-Rhône) has been blocked again since Friday afternoon until Monday, like that of TotalEnergies in Donges, near Saint-Nazaire. The Petroineos refinery in Martigues will also be blocked all weekend until Monday.
In service stations, regarding fuel stocks, the situation showed a slight improvement on Friday morning compared to Thursday, with 3.3% of some 10,000 French stations in lack of gasoline and / or diesel. The departments of western France are the most affected.
Strikes will continue in electricity production plants, warned CGTÉnergies, adding that the blocked vote in the Senate on Friday could lead to a “escalation of anger”. The federation also mentioned new voluntary power cuts this weekend, and gas strikes in all LNG terminals and gas storage facilities.
Finally, the resumption of waste collection in Paris has not been announced, and trash cans will continue to accumulate in certain districts. There were nearly 4,500 tonnes of uncollected waste on Friday, according to the town hall of Paris, questioned by BFM Paris Ile-de-France.
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