Commuters Hit As French Strike Begins

Unions today went on strike across France as hundreds of thousands of people planned protests against a new labour law making it easier to fire young workers.

Commuter trains, buses and metro services were disrupted as transport workers began the one-day national strike. Postal staff, teachers and media employees were expected to join the action.

Police deployed thousands of officers ahead of around 200 rallies taking place across the country amid fears that violence could flare as it did during protests earlier this month.

The dispute could have a major impact on next year's presidential elections, with the conservative prime minister, Dominique de Villepin - whose government introduced the controversial law - a potential candidate.

Mass street protests over pension reforms in 1995 were widely believed to have lost the conservatives the legislative elections held two years later.

Unions and students want Mr De Villepin to cancel the first job contract law, which is due to take effect next month.

They say the legislation will create a generation of "throwaway" workers because it will allow companies to dismiss workers under 26 without cause in their first two years of employment.

However, Mr De Villepin insists the measure will help reduce France's high levels of youth unemployment by giving bosses more flexibility.

French workers benefit from strong job protection, but some believe that discourages employers from hiring less experienced staff who have not yet shown they can do a job.

Today's strike brought around half the commuter trains and 30% of metro services in the Paris area to a standstill. Public transport in 76 cities across the country was affected, the Associated Press reported.

"It's really annoying," secretary Monique Paquet told AP as she waited for a bus in the Opera area of the French capital. "These strikes really slow me down."

However, many French people have grown accustomed to walkouts by transport workers, and have adapted by taking time off or rearranging commutes to avoid peak hours.

Jean-Paul Boulet, a spokesman for the national train operator SNCF, said packed train stations were "a thing of the past", adding: "People get organised or will stay at home."

One flight in three at airports nationwide was disrupted, and the state-run radio station France-Info, a major source of daily news, broadcast only music.

People flying to France from Britain faced cancellations, with the budget airline Ryanair saying it had axed more than 70 flights from Stansted, Luton and Liverpool.

In an attempt to break the standoff, Mr De Villepin has offered to meet unions and student groups tomorrow. However, most major unions want the first job contract measure withdrawn before any talks can begin.