EVE[OLUTION]

Wave of Strikes Leaves Much of Western Europe Crippled (MARK LANDLER, 6/03/03, NY Times)

A wave of strikes from France to Austria left much of Western Europe crippled today, as protesting workers shut down subway systems, ports, trains, toll roads, and airlines. [...]

As is customary in France, the labor dispute is the bailiwick of the prime minister, Jean-Pierre Raffarin, who today showed no sign of backing down on his plan to overhaul the pension system.

"This is about the survival of the republic," Mr. Raffarin said during a session of the French parliament.

The unions are rebelling against the government's proposal to require workers to pay into the state pension fund for 40 years, up from 37.5 years now, before they qualify for retirement benefits.

"The current proposals will weaken the system and increase inequalities," said Bernard Thibault, the head of the powerful union, CGT, in an interview with the online edition of the French daily, Liberation.

Labor leaders in Austria voiced similar complaints about the government's plan to reduce pensions by 11 percent. Officials there also showed no willingness to compromise, saying that with shaky public finances and an aging population, they had no choice but to make drastic cuts.

"We are all living longer; there are fewer children," said the education and science minister, Elisabeth Gehrer, on Austrian state radio. "You can't strike against demographic developments like that."

Surely now that they're starting to realize that their societies are dying, that mammoth dislocations lie ahead, that their very survival is at stake, the Europeans will reverse the decline in their populations, right? I mean, if they just keep demanding more benefits and refuse to propagate.... Posted by Orrin Judd at June 4, 2003 8:28 AM