Striking rail workers have halted about half of French train services in a dispute over working hours as a standoff between the militant CGT union and the Socialist government over a proposed labour law reform dragged on. Tension mounted between the union and the Medef employers’ federation, with the CGT urging energy workers to cut power supplies to the bosses’ Paris headquarters. Eurostar train services to Britain were not affected, while 75% of trains to Belgium, the Netherlands and Switzerland were running, and about 40% to Spain and Germany. Heavy flooding also cut some lines in central France and the rail link to Luxembourg. The SNCF state railway said six out of 10 high-speed TGV trains were running on Wednesday, along with a third of other inter-city services and half of regional trains.

Source: The Guardian June 01, 2016 15:04 UTC