French Transportation Workers Strike Again

STEVE INSKEEP, Host:

Eleanor, how'd you get to work?

ELEANOR BEARDSLEY: Well, good morning, Steve. Well, actually, I didn't have a problem getting to work because sometimes I can work in an office out of my apartment. But where I did have a problem is my nanny couldn't get to work, because I have a one and a half-year-old baby and I can't really do anything until she comes. I just sent a taxi to pick her up that I had to book - early yesterday, and the taxi couldn't even get through. They called. There were so many traffic jams. Finally, somebody got through and she showed up, like, three hours late this morning. But it is difficult for everyone.

INSKEEP: Eleanor, we'll catch up on the strike here in a second. But how is the baby?

BEARDSLEY: The baby's doing very well. He's just having his lunch right now. So, Steve, thanks.

INSKEEP: Okay, I'll let you get back to that in a moment. But first tell me, what is at stake in this dispute, with Parisians now stuck all over the city, or riding bicycles?

BEARDSLEY: Analysts are saying - well, basically go, he'll go from defeat to defeat. There will be no reforms getting through at all, and he'll be a paper tiger after only six months in office. However, if he holds and he pushes this one through, people - analysts are saying he'll be able to push other reforms through one by one, and then before we know it, France will be reforming, as you said he would do.

INSKEEP: Well, how effective is this strike that's meant to challenge him?

BEARDSLEY: You see a lot of people out on bikes, scooters, you know, a lot of mopeds and motorcycles, even rollerblades. So, you know, there's not very many - there's a couple or no metros, basically no commuter trains. And so it's very effective in that way.

INSKEEP: Well, which side is the public supporting since its being effective?

BEARDSLEY: And one thing they really seized upon was this - the (French spoken) or the union said their hardship works. This retired schoolteacher called in and she said I taught at a middle school for disadvantaged and troubled youths. You don't think my job was harder than, you know, repairing some train tracks. So the French don't accept these excuses anymore for them to have a better, you know, deal on retirement. And, you know, polls have showed seven out of ten voters are behind Sarkozy in this reform.

INSKEEP: What's changed?

BEARDSLEY: What's changed? Well, let me you what's changed in - people have been living, you know, for too long. Other European countries have reformed, and I think the French realized France has to reform too. Now, what's changed between these two strikes is the government and the unions have failed to come to any negotiations, and these strikes are open-ended. This means that it could go on for a long time. And people are nervous and they're angry, I think. They want to see a resolution to these strikes...

INSKEEP: Okay.

BEARDSLEY: ...and one thing - we have a glimmer of hope because late last night, the unions agreed to come back to the negotiating table with the government. So, as we speak, they are negotiating. So there is hope that they'll find a quick solution. Otherwise, people are scared it's going to go into next week.

INSKEEP: Eleanor Beardsley in Paris. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.