| Further strikes scdeduled across the country |
| 17 Nov 2008 |
| A four-day strike by Air France pilots is scheduled to conclude at midnight local time (2300 UTC) on 17 November 2008. Significant flight disruptions continued on 17 November, with only two thirds of the long haul flights and half of other flights running. Representatives from the airline expect most of the services to return to normal on 18 November.
Meanwhile, on 18 November railway workers are expected to go on strike in response to a proposal that will change their work hours. They have also announced the possibility of a second strike beginning on the evening of 23 November. Eurostar officials have stated that they expect their services to run as normal, but significant disruptions are anticipated throughout other domestic services.
On 20 November teachers and students will protest poor working conditions and staff cuts. Postal workers will also stage a march on 22 November to protest the privatization of France's Post Office.
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| Air France Strike to last till 17/11/08 |
| 14 Nov 2008 |
| Industrial action being taken by pilots that is causing severe disruption and cancellation to Air France flights will last until Monday 17 November. You are advised to contact Air France (http://www.airfrance.co.uk) for further information.
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| Air France workers announce four-day strike |
| 13 Nov 2008 |
| Air France workers have announced that a four-day work stoppage is scheduled to begin on 14 November 2008. Leaders for the flight crew union reported that the strike was called to protest plans by management to raise the retirement age. Up to half of all long haul flights and many other scheduled departures could be canceled as a result of the strike. Air France urged passengers who are scheduled to fly during the strike to check the airline's Web site for last minute changes to their travel arrangements.
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| Train drivers launched a nationwide strike |
| 06 Nov 2008 |
| As previously announced, train drivers organized by the unions CGT and SUD launched a nationwide strike on the night of 5 November 2008. The action caused disruption to high-speed and regional services, as well as commuter services in the Paris area, on 6 November. Only half of the high-speed TGV trains in western parts of France are running; however, other areas of the country have been slightly less affected, with 75 percent of services running. In addition to affecting travel within France, up to four TGV trains to Belgium have been disrupted. The labor action, which aims to protest scheduling changes for freight train drivers, is scheduled to last until 7 November.
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| Calais Port Control Officers due to begin industrial action |
| 14 Oct 2008 |
| Port Control Officers at the port of Calais are due to begin industrial action at 0800 on 15 October 2008. This is likely to cause serious disruption to ferry services in and out of the port. Those expecting to travel to/from Calais are advised to contact their travel operators for further information.
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| Possible wild cat strikes by French fisherman on 10th Oct |
| 10 Oct 2008 |
| Possible wild cat strikes by French fisherman may cause disruption at the ports of Boulogne sur Mer, Dunkirk and Calais on 10 October. You are advised to check the latest position direct with your travel company.
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| Channel Tunnel remains shut |
| 12 Sep 2008 |
| Thousands of passengers hoping to travel through the Channel Tunnel face further disruption after a fire on a freight train. The tunnel is closed after the fire broke out about seven miles from Calais on Thursday afternoon. Fire fighters say the blaze has now been put out.
Thirty-two people on board were led to safety. Fourteen had suffered minor injuries, including smoke inhalation.
Eurostar said it "did not expect" to operate any services on Friday.
The French Interior Ministry said the UK-bound lorry, which is understood to have overturned on the shuttle train, was carrying the chemical phenol, a toxic product used by the pharmaceutical industry.
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| Fire on Channel Tunnel Train |
| 11 Sep 2008 |
| Train services have been suspended following the fire which broke out about seven miles from France on a train going from Folkestone to Calais.
A spokeswoman for Eurotunnel said the train had been evacuated, with 32 people taken into a service tunnel.
French firefighters are understood to have the incident under control. Eurotunnel said one section was closed.
It has suspended services in both directions while emergency services deal with the incident.
Kent Fire and Rescue Service said it was alerted at 1457 BST and sent five pumps.
A train is now on its way from France to pick up the people, believed to be lorry drivers and the train driver, from the service. They will be taken back to France.
Kent Police said people in the area should delay or vary travel arrangements if possible. They said it was possible they may have to implement Operation Stack to allow lorries to park on the M20 while there are delays to continental traffic.
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| Pope visit my cause transport disruptions |
| 11 Sep 2008 |
| Pope Benedict XVI will stage a three-day visit to France on 12-14 September 2008, marking his first visit to the country as pontiff. French authorities are deploying an estimated 9,200 police and other security officers to ensure the safety of the pope, as well as the tens of thousands of faithful expected to gather for his visit. The pope is scheduled to arrive at Paris-Orly Airport (LFPO/ORY) on 12 September, and will then hold a reception with the French prime minister. On 13 September the pope will celebrate a morning Mass at the Esplanade des Invalides in central Paris that may be attended by up to 200,000 people. After visiting Paris, the pope will travel to Lourdes in southern France to visit a Roman Catholic shrine.
While there are no specific security concerns associated with the pope's visit, there is a possibility that increased security measures will result in traffic disruptions in central areas of Paris and the temporary closure of roads and subway stations. Disruptions to traffic and congestion on public transportation are also likely due to the large number of people expected to turn out for the pope's visit.
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| Aircraft destined for Spain was forced to make an emergency landing |
| 26 Aug 2008 |
| On 26 August 2008 a Boeing 737 passenger aircraft was forced to make an emergency landing at Bellegarde Airport (LFBL/LIG) in Limoges, France, after a sudden loss of cabin pressure. Ryanair airline officials stated that 16 of the 175 passengers and crew were taken to the hospital after they experienced ear problems because of the rapid decompression. Reports indicate that the flight was travelling from Bristol, England, to Barcelona, Spain. The aircraft rapidly descended 26,400 ft/8,000 m in approximately five minutes, causing oxygen masks to deploy and violently shaking the passenger cabin. Investigators are inspecting the aircraft on the ground and have not yet determined what caused the rapid decompression.
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| Three explosives were defused |
| 08 Aug 2008 |
| On 8 August 2008 three explosives were defused near Arcangues, located in the commune of Pyrenees-Atlantiques, after an anonymous caller warned officials of the devices at approximately 0400 local time (0200 UTC). One of the explosives was found in Pierre et Vacances, a resort village, another was found near a tourist office and the third bomb was retrieved on a TGV railway line between Boucau and Ondres. A local official described the devices as being "homemade, low-intensity and defective." All devices were safely defused. Approximately 1,000 people had to be evacuated, but all venues have now been reopened to the public. The caller also warned of devices at three other locations, but no additional devices were found. The motives and perpetrators are unknown at present.
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| Demonstrations held in 120 towns & cities |
| 17 Jun 2008 |
| The French unions CGT and CFDT launched a nationwide strike on 17 June 2008, calling for the preservation of the 35-hour workweek and protesting reforms to the pension system. Organisers predict that more than 1 million people will participate in demonstrations held in approximately 120 cities and towns nationwide in conjunction with the strike, which has already disrupted schedules on regional rail networks in the southern part of the country and has affected bus and tram operations in Nice and other cities. In Paris, disruptions were reported on commuter trains and the regional RER network. The city's metro is thus far operating without significant disruption, but traffic jams have been an issue in the city due to the increased use of personal vehicles.
Meanwhile, on 16 June, truckers across France caused long traffic delays with go-slow protest convoys. The largest truckers' union in France called the demonstration to protest rising fuel prices that have affected other transportation services in addition to the trucking industry. The nationwide demonstration, known as "Operation Snail," slowed traffic to a crawl in Bordeaux; disruptions were also reported in Paris, Nice, Lille and Lorient. Police officers were deployed to follow the protest convoys, but there were no reports of violence or arrests.
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| Railway & public service employees to strike 10th June |
| 09 Jun 2008 |
| Railway workers and public service employees are expected to stage a 24-hour strike over proposed job reductions in the pubic sector during the day on 10 June. Three railway unions are participating in the strike, which is set to begin at 2000 local time (1800 UTC) on 9 June. Suburban and national high-speed train services will likely be affected, and train service between Roissy-Charles de Gaulle Airport (LFPG/CDG) and Paris will be reduced, with only one train running every 15 minutes. International train services are not expected to be affected.
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