Perturbation

"Mouvment social.....la circulation des trains est perturbée". It's week 3 and counting in the latest of France's national pastime; le greve (the strike). With the unions strong opposition to Sarkozy's plan to extend the age of retirement, there have been marches, sit ins, and a vexing lack of transportation into and out of Paris for what seems like an eternity. Usually one can expect a day here or there when the train and bus schedules are cut in half, a minor annoyance and ineffectual in terms of a social movement. It's something I have come to expect since my arrival in France three years ago. "All the unions must strike together for at least one month!" my friend Madame V declares; "One day will not effect change!" I blame her by the way, my leetle commie friend who works for the largest union in France, CGT. "So, everyone should work longer so that YOU aren't inconvenienced by a transit strike?" my other Marxist friend J.P. called me out, his voice dripping with sarcasm and a strong sense of social injustice. Snap! Franchment, working until 65 might not be such a horrible thing, unless you are a stone mason, or a coal miner, or a fisherman on The Deadliest Catch. "But do we have to work until we're old and cannot enjoy the life?" Madame V demands, "there is much money in France, let the rich pay the tax! They can afford it!" I cannot honestly say I disagree with that logic, nor can millions of française who deliver mail, pick up trash, and work in restaurants and factories. The anethesiologist's union mobilized last summer and staged a massive sit in on the tracks at Gare Montparnasse, one of Paris' main arteries. This is the connecting point for me from the suburbs into Paris, and back home again. Fortunately on that day I had no work in the city and missed the perturbation! But for the last three weeks, there have been no trains going into town AT ALL between 4 and 8 p.m., only one per hour going home (instead of every 15 minutes), the last one of the night being at 11 p.m. instead of 12:58. This is severly cramping my style, and I am perturbed! (It's times like this I miss having a car.) The Senat was scheduled to vote on the issue of retirement last Wednesday, and the bill extending the age to 65 was expected to pass. I figured all hell would break loose for a couple of days, the strike would ultimately end, and life would once again return to normal. Instead, the opposition tacked on 362 riders to the bill, all of which must be debated individually before a vote can be called. A sort of french filibuster! Meanwhile, the perturbation continues.....