Paris by strikes during Olympic visit

Strikes on Thursday disrupted French train and air traffic, left schools understaffed and newspapers undelivered, even as Olympic inspectors assessed a bid by Paris to host the 2012 Games.

Railway and energy workers, teachers and post office staff all took industrial action against job cuts and the government's plans to make the 35-hour work week more flexible.

Queues built up at railway stations across France as only one train in four was serving Paris suburbs, and some services to cities in southern France were cut to a third. Many Paris subway trains were suspended and some stations were closed.

"What a waste of time!" said Sebastien, a civil servant getting out of the metro. "But I understand people who are on strike. It's important to defend our 35-hour work week."

"I'm quicker on my blades than with the metro," said one young boy speeding through Paris on his rollerskates.

Action by air traffic controllers axed 20 to 25 percent of flights at Paris's Charles de Gaulle airport, officials said, delays averaging two hours at Paris's two main airports.

"France paralysed," Le Figaro daily said on its front page. "Black Thursday in public transport," La Tribune daily said.

Thursday's strikes followed protests this week by students and scientists against government reforms, adding to the woes of centre-right Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin as he seeks to rally support for a 'Yes' vote in a referendum on the European Union constitution in May.

"Our watchwords are clear: jobs, wages, the 35-hour week," Bernard Thibault from the CGT trade union told Le Parisien daily, saying the government should withdraw its plans to make France's rules on working time more flexible.

OLYMPIC SUPPORT

Unions have insisted they want to avoid disrupting inspectors from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) who are on a four-day visit to assess Paris's bid for 2012.

"In the march, you will be able to spot T-shirts and banners in favour of Paris's candidacy for the 2012 Games," Francois Chereque from the CFDT trade union told Liberation daily.

The IOC's 13-strong evaluation commission is to inspect France's proposed Olympic venues in and around the capital on Thursday. They have already visited rivals Madrid, London and New York and will visit Moscow next week.

Paris is widely regarded as the favourite to host the Games but the strikes have highlighted France's restive streak.

"We would have preferred a better advertisement for the candidacy, obviously," Sports Minister Jean-Francois Lamour told Le Figaro newspaper in an interview.

Unsuccessful in bidding for the 1992 and 2008 Olympics, Paris has not hosted the Games since 1924. The IOC will announce the winning city on July 6 in Singapore.

This week's protests come at a delicate time for Raffarin, as surveys indicate a French 'Yes' vote on the EU constitution on May 29 is far from certain.

Some 60 percent of voters would back the constitution, an Ipsos survey in Le Figaro daily showed on Thursday. But only 58 percent of people questioned said they were absolutely certain to cast their ballot.