FRANCE HEADS FOR FIFTH DAY OF TRANSPORT STRIKES
PARIS, Nov 17, 2007 - France's biggest rail union said Saturday a new offer of talks from employers did not go far enough, as the country headed towards a fifth day of crippling transport strikes.

The General Labour Confederation (CGT) said negotiating proposals from the state-owned rail firm SNCF on Friday "did not respond to all the issues" and the union would only negotiate on the "whole package" of proposed reforms.

The deadlock on the country's intercity, regional and metro public transport systems came ahead of planned -- but separate -- strikes by civil servants and lawyers and magistrates on Tuesday.

Prime Minister Francois Fillon said Saturday that unions must first return to work as a precondition of any opening of negotiations on the so-called "special" regimes which allow some workers to retire early.

"We demand, for negotiations to resume, that there is a call by the unions to return to work," he told a press conference.

"It is not possible to strike and negotiate at the same time," he said.

President Nicolas Sarkozy, Fillon and Labour Minister Xavier Bertrand met again Saturday evening, according to the Elysee Palace.

Earlier Raymond Soubie, a social affairs adviser to Sarkozy, had appeared to suggest the government would return to talks "with no preconditions."

"All that's required is that there is a gesture of good will," he told French radio.

Friday's proposals from the SNCF suggested month-long talks starting Wednesday.

The fourth largest railway union, the French Democratic Labour Confederation (CFDT), has urged members to resume work, arguing that the strike was losing steam, but all other unions want the stoppages to go on.

SNCF warned meanwhile that transport connections would remain heavily reduced over Sunday.

Around 250 of the usual 700 TGV intercity services would run on Sunday, it said, while most Paris metro lines would only see one train in five run.

Buses and trams would also be running at only 40 percent of average service.
The RER commuter lines in and out of Paris would be "very heavily disrupted" it warned.
The secretary general of Sarkozy's Union for a Popular Movement (UMP) party suggested holding counter-demonstrations against the strikes if workers stayed out into next week.
"If it (the strike) goes on into next week it is a possibility we must examine," Patrick Devedjian said Saturday.

The stoppages are costing the French economy 400 million euros (590 million dollars) a day, Le Figaro newspaper reported. In Paris, some small businesses have shut for the duration of the strike because of the transport problem.

The strike was triggered by government plans to reform so-called "special" pensions systems enjoyed by 500,000 workers, mainly in the rail and energy sectors, as well as 1.1 million pensioners.

Polls show that a majority of the public supports the reform, which forms part of a wider government plan to increase contribution periods to take account of lengthening life-spans.
An IFOP poll for the French newspaper Journal du Dimanche indicated Sarkozy fell four points in popularity compared to last month, with 55 percent satisfied with his overall performance.
Fillon fell one point to 52 percent, the poll showed. It was conducted between November 8 and 16 with 1,866 people.

The government also faces a growing protest movement among students, who on Friday had forced the closure of nine universities. They are protesting against a law which allows the country's under-funded and under-performing universities to raise money from private sources.
In addition the government faces protests from magistrates and lawyers against a reorganisation of the justice system which would lead to the closure of some small local courts.
On Sunday campaigners against the transport strike have called for a demonstration in central Paris.