Business

French train standoff: Strikes to resume, despite talks

07 of May 2018

CORRECTING NAME TO PAVAGEAU - Leader of the labor union Worker Force Pascal Pavageau, arrives at the Prime Minister's office in Paris, France, Monday, May 7, 2018. A powerful French union is vowing to push ahead with strikes that have hobbled nationwide train services, even as signs of a possible compromise emerged in talks with President Emmanuel Macron's government. (AP Photo/Michel Euler),CORRECTING NAME TO PAVAGEAU - Leader of the labor union Worker Force Pascal Pavageau, arrives at the Prime Minister's office in Paris, France, Monday, May 7, 2018. A powerful French union is vowing to push ahead with strikes that have hobbled nationwide train services, even as signs of a possible compromise emerged in talks with President Emmanuel Macron's government. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)

A powerful French union is vowing to push ahead with strikes that have hobbled nationwide train services, even as signs of a possible compromise emerged in talks with President Emmanuel Macron's government. Prime Minister Edouard Philippe met Monday with unions to discuss amendments to a bill reforming national rail carrier SNCF and its 50 billion-euro ($60 billion) mountain of debt.

PARIS (AP) — A powerful French union is vowing to push ahead with strikes that have hobbled nationwide train services, even as signs of a possible compromise emerged in talks with President Emmanuel Macron’s government.

Prime Minister Edouard Philippe met Monday with unions to discuss amendments to a bill reforming national rail carrier SNCF and its 50 billion-euro ($60 billion) mountain of debt.

Laurent Brun of the influential hard-left CGT union left the meetings saying the strike was going ahead.

“There is no debate.”

But other union leaders saw hopeful signs. Luc Berille of UNSA said his union’s concerns had been “heard,” while Laurent Berger of moderate union CFDT said the prime minister was open to continued talks.

Strikes are set to resume Monday evening through Thursday morning. Strikes are planned through June.