French labor standoff: rail company offers deal to unions
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}With trains canceled across France on the seventh day of a nationwide strike, the SNCF national rail service has offered unions a deal on working hours to try to persuade train drivers to go back to work.
The strike is part of months of action against a government effort to loosen labor restrictions and allow longer working hours. The government fears it will disrupt the European Championship soccer tournament starting Friday.
A third of high-speed trains and about half of regional trains are canceled Tuesday because of the strike, along with many trains to or from Spain, Italy and Switzerland.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}SNCF director Guillaume Pepy said Tuesday on Europe-1 radio that management went "to the farthest point possible" to meet union demands. Leading union CGT, however, appears skeptical of the deal.