 Poster: A snowHead
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The 24 hour 'general' strike set for this Thursday is not likely to affect traffic over the weekend, according to reports. However air traffic tomorrow is expected to be severely restricted tomorrow, and dockers have threatened to blockade the Channel ports from as early as this evening. A situation to keep an eye on over the coming month or two, as there is a complete impasse at the moment, the French Government remaining firm on the decision to implement reforms to the 35 hour maximum working week law previously passed by the Socialist administration.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Newbie50, I recommend powerful drugs.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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condolences Newbie - could you drive it?
Also - for anyone else planning to drive to Europe - P & O are suspending ferries from tonight for 24 hours - dont know what state they will be in what with this and the berthing problems at Calais....
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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laundryman, Yes , think I may need some to calm me down. I remeber when striking was the Brits favourite hobby , not the French ..
jayne durham, Yes, an easy drive all motorway until Cluses or Vallee Blanche turn off ( but my wife is claustrophobic in road tunnels and small matter of Mt Blanc ) // 4 1/2 hours journey. At least we are not in UK as there will undoubtedly be ATC delays even if you are flying to GVA , others there much worse off
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Newbie50, Getting to Nice airport might be your main worry!!! I made three 'approaches' on Monday evening last coming from the Mougins side. All three approaches had to be aborted, as each time I ended up back on the A8 Direction Mougins!! I uttered more than one exclaimation and made several remarks about our French cousins!!! It would appear that the current roadworks and temporary round-abouts were moved at the weekend. Signage is abismal.
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PG,
you mentioned
However air traffic tomorrow is expected to be severely restricted tomorrow
I'm flying (or perhaps not) into Geneva tommorow evening, do you know anymore info??
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Bernard Condon, Weird but true --- the shortest and quickest access to the airport at Nice from Cannes/Mougins direction are either of the two A8 exits before the signposted one (i.e. St Laurent or Promenade des Anglais) !. If you do it regularly pm me and I'll give you the directions.
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Yes I'm aware that Geneva is not France, however I assume that it would be difficult to fly to Geneva without flying through French airspace!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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christianmurray, The airlines ( nor the ATC themselves) know nothing yet. If you are flying from UK , you should be OK but subject to possible delays is my best guess.
and part of GVA Is in France 
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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christianmurray, no specific details, although I caught the tail end of a news report which mentioned the all-powerful "aiguilleurs" (air traffic controllers), it sounded as if there would be some disruption, from tonight 7.30pm until Friday morning.... they mentioned that some airports (French) would probably be paralysed.
- all 5 rail unions have called for the strike to be observed from 8pm tonight until Friday 8am. The estimate is for 30% to 50% of trains to be affected (but not Eurostar).
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You know it makes sense.
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| PG wrote: |
| the all-powerful "aiguilleurs" (air traffic controllers). |
Are they called that because they needle people when they go on strike? 
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Anyone got any idea what the ferry situation is apart from what is on teletext?
They say they are shutting till 21.00 tomorrow (Thurs) - What with the other trouble at Calais.. what do you reckon on us getting away on a 21.50 ferry Friday night...
Surely it will be a nightmare trying to catch up with 24 hours of passengers???????
This seems to be turning into the short break from hell............................
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Poster: A snowHead
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laundryman, it's because they're supposed to 'point' people in the right direction...
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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ah ... all becomes clear!
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Heard on the traffic news this evening Calais is shut from tonight. Operation Stack in effect.
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You know there is supposed to be free passage across europe according to EU rules and every time its the ....ing french who disrupt everything, what ..ses me off even more is the .....french are the ones clamoring for the same rules for all europeans and they're the first to completely ignore those self same rules when it suits them
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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D G Orf, there's also the right to strike that I would guess is enshrined in EU law: certainly in UK and French national law. The right to free movement is not quite the same thing as a duty for someone else to assist you. Now, blockades are another matter and perhaps in the past the French police haven't been forceful enough in keeping the roads open. Not sure if anything like that is happening this time. Of course the strikes are b...y annoying whatever the legal situation, but part of the price of freedom generally, I think.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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laundryman, what gets me is the way they organise things to completely effect tourism, why effect tourism ? is it the fault of the British or the Swiss or the Spanish etc. that the French Government wants to change the working week ? So why effect tourism ? My guess would be that it is designed to bring pressure from foreign governments on the French
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D G Orf, I know, it's annoying. I'm sure you're right, it's designed to embarrass government ministers to the maximum extent.
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We're due to travel Dover to Calais at 15:00 on Friday. Does anyone have any experience of what the knock on delays would be?
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Flying to Toulouse today, looking at the toulouse website this morning there are small delays but planes arriving. Flybe assure me that they will be flying but I anticipate some delay rather than paralysis. The snow looks so good I'll be well upset if I'm not there by tomorrow am.
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m00958,
The strike should be over by then,,,,due to finish Thurs 10th 2200 but there may be a backlog as no ferries have sailed for over 24hrs.
Stack is in Operation but when I came down the M20 today I drove straight through at 0630 Thurs. No problems with queues at Eurotunnel either.
Ferry traffic into Calais should be working ok-ish and there are two berths available which is twice the amount available at other times.
Next mon, tues and wed the berth will be back to one.
Call P&O or Sea France to see if their sailings are getting away on time. Ask them about the best time to travel. I would think that night time would be lighter but ask them specifically at the port as they have the most upto date info on this.
At least Friday should not be hindered by the strike but you may be affected by a backlog as Friday might be traditionally busy..!!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Well one conselation the Olympic committee are in Paris at the moment 
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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JT, thanks!
Phoned Sea France this morning. They said there wasn't going to be a backlog, and there would more than likely be delays from the reduced berths (or something like that!) in Calais.
Heard on the radio tonight that there were no trucks waiting in the stack, but the motorway was closed just in case.
Will ring Sea France again in the morning.
D G Orf, that did make me chuckle
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m00958,
M20 0630 GMT
Just came down the M20 from jct 9 and no sight of Stack in operation. This is very good news as they (tunnel and ferries ) don't seem to need to park traffic on the motorway. A collegue travelled the entire lenght of the M20 from London to Dover at 0600 and saw no sign of it either.
The cones are down and no diversions. The portaloos are still place so that might mean they can reinstigate stack PDQ or that the contractor hasn't collected them yet. I don't think that Stack is a thing of the past as I think next week ( mon-wed ) Calais are taking another berth out of action. I believe at this time and over the weekend that there are 3 berths running which is as good as it has been for a few weeks.
No delays seen on the road so hopefully minimal delays getting into the port the other side. Any backlog from the strike was cleared about 0230 this morning from both the tunnel and the ports.
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You know it makes sense.
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JT, great news!
Just spoke to Sea France again, and they said for us to expect delays. Arrive on time, but expect delays. She said that it was the berthing problem in Calais that was causing the problems.
Right... If I can get on the net I'll let you all know what Les Arcs is like next week... TTFN! 
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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| laundryman wrote: |
| perhaps in the past the French police haven't been forceful enough in keeping the roads open. |
Having recently been unable to get back to my house by car due to a blockade I sympathise. You have to realise that politicians and administrators live in mortal fear of the "mob" and a repeat of 1789 and Jacques Chirac doesn't want to find his head stuck on a stake on the Pont Alexandra. So the attitude to the often violent disputes that grip France every year is to do nothing knowing that the French never strike during their annual month of leave in August so things should dissipate by then.
If caught in a blockade don't antagonize the strikers as they can turn nasty.
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Poster: A snowHead
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| davidof wrote: |
| If caught in a blockade don't antagonize the strikers as they can turn nasty. |
Do you speak from personal experience?!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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davidof, yes, I thought as much. I've never been caught in a blockade in France, but I was in Ireland during their restrained participation in the fuel protests a few years ago - a much better place to be than the UK at the time, I gather. The protestors (in Waterford at any rate) were very good natured and made sure that nobody was seriously inconvenienced.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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| PG wrote: |
| davidof wrote: |
| If caught in a blockade don't antagonize the strikers as they can turn nasty. |
Do you speak from personal experience?! |
No from a TF1 news report from a couple of years ago where some Brits tried to force their way through a blockade of an autoroute and got their car smashed up. Some strikers are very passionate and have an amost religous belief in their cause (based on discussions to try to return to my house during the last strike a few weeks ago - I had a 5 month old baby in the car who wanted feeding) and can get quite upset if you have a different world view.
Just to come back to your original post. There are a number of 'strikes' at the moment. As you noted the main one yesterday is about a reform to the law restricting workers to an average 35 hour week. The reform would enable people who want to work longer hours in return for overtime pay to do so (currently you can work up to 48 hours in any week but have to average 35 over the year - either through a shorter week or more holiday). The strike was also about pay and this is maybe where my world view differs from the strikers I spoke to. They didn't seem to see any link between working less hours (the reduction of the working week brought in by the Socialists was from 39 to 35 hours) and smaller wage increases.
Other strikers are researchers who say their research budget is too low and students protesting at the reform of the French 'A' level system. The strikes also have a strong political motivation as the Socialists are still smarting at their presidential candiate Lionel Jospin getting beaten into third place by an extreme right winger. They believe they were robbed of victory and want to make life extemely 'chaud' for the current government. Unfortunately the head of the socialists has about as much charisma as a cabbage.
Now it is important to realise that pay, especially for public sector workers, is low in France and social contributions, to pay those self same workers, quite high. The recent rises in house prices and fuel have meant that living costs have risen quite substantially and many people are quite badly off. This has caused a lot of anger. However public sector workers almost have a job for life and a good pension and health benefits. The government is being squeezed by Europe as its budget deficit will once again bust the 3% limit set for membership of the Euro.
I'm sure this will be viewed as a somewhat potted summary of the current situation.
Oh I encountered a number of strikers yesterday making their protest felt from the local ski pistes.
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No, that's a very fair summary. Although I thought you were a little generous in describing Jospin as cabbage-like 
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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| Quote: |
Oh I encountered a number of strikers yesterday making their protest felt from the local ski pistes.
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What colour-code were these pistes?
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davidof,
An interesting insight to the workings of the French especially the motivations of the Socialists regarding getting a hammering in the Presidental Elections. I am always amazed that the same faces resurface time and again after 'hammerings' in these elections whereas we would regard them as yesterday's men and dipsose of them accordingly, Livingstone being the exception and I hope not an indication of things to come.
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JT, Michael Howard? Home secretary in the last (trounced) Tory government (though not at the time of election defeat).
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moo958 - My husband just phoned P & O who were very gloomy and said there was a massive stack..
We've just cancelled P & O and are going to Dunkerque with Norfolkline.....
Do hope you (and we ) finally manage to get away. (and back!)
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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skanky,
Kind of, but he wasn't a leader like Jospin is/was or Chirac or Gisgard d'Estaing who presided over a 'hammering. That's the jist, anyway.
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JT, fair enough.
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