French strikes: Your reaction

Acts of sabotage, including fires, have hit rail services in France, as a strike by transport workers enters its eighth day.

On Tuesday, the strikers were joined by civil servants, teachers and students. But many people affected have been sending us e-mails protesting about the action.

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PIERRE WHALON, EPISCOPAL BISHOP IN EUROPE, PARIS

" On Monday my wife was shoved and thrown to the ground as she tried to enter a Metro train. On Tuesday my daughter suffered the same fate. This was by fellow angry commuters. The strikers are staying well away from the public.

"The reports of sabotage have enraged me. These people's right to hardship pay evaporated long ago."

There was much more support for the strikers in 1995 than there is now. Trains arrive every thirty minutes instead of every three.

This plus the reports of sabotage have enraged me. People are more and more angry and frustrated with these people whose right to hardship pay and benefits evaporated long ago with steam locomotives. The unions have already lost all credibility. Time for a big change. "

SOPHIE PRADERE, PARIS

" For your information, recent surveys in France show that a majority of people were against the strike before it started, which is unprecedented in French history.

"This is ludicrous! I am personally both enraged and ashamed at their behaviour!!""

And now, they are simply fed up with it, they've had enough, we all want the civil servants to go back to work! The reforms are necessary and will be carried out.

And let's be serious for a second: the civil servants paralyse France because we need them now to work 2,5 years more in their professional life? This is ludicrous! They are all a bunch of lazy people, and I am personally both enraged and ashamed at their behaviour! "

COLETTE CATARINA, TEACHER, MONTPELLIER

" Many people are demonstrating in Montpellier as in most towns in France. Post offices were closed in the region yesterday, as were most primary and secondary schools.

What people were mainly denouncing was the outrageous 140% pay rise of the president and 1.5% for the civil servants.

A young teacher gets 1500 euros a month and you have to have 20 years work experience to get about 2500 euros. Teachers are firmly protesting against the proposed cut of 23,000 teachers in the coming year. "

DAMIEN, STUDENT, BREST

" I, as a student, am not too affected by the transport strike but I too am tired of being used as an hostage by those "workers".

They are defending privileges from olden times that put an enormous strain on the economy, and that all French workers have to pay for. This is totally unacceptable and I do hope Mr Sarkozy will put his reforms into effect quickly.

But I am on the other hand seriously affected by the students' strikes against the "Loi Pécresse", another of Sarkozy's measures passed a few months ago. Non-democratic votes have led to blockades at many universities, including mine, which means that students that are either for or simply do not give a damn about that piece of legislation cannot attend classes and are once again being used as hostages by a few misinformed/lazy/left wing/anarchist students.

I am tired of this country, where the "majorité silencieuse" of actual workers, of people who want to succeed in life, are being used as hostages by few. "

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