Nationwide strike by transport workers, teachers and other professionals in France Thursday Dec 05,2019

France was set to be paralysed Thursday Dec 05,2019 by a nationwide strike by transport workers, teachers and other professionals in a showdown between unions and President Emmanuel Macron over his planned pension reforms

Some 90 percent of high-speed trains have been axed, most of the Paris metro will be shut, hundreds of flights cancelled and the majority of schools closed in the strike

With some air traffic controllers also walking out, flag-carrier Air France said it was axing 30 percent of its internal flights and 15 percent of short-haul international routes.

British low-cost carrier EasyJet has cancelled 223 domestic and short-haul international flights and warned others risk being delayed

The strike—which is open-ended and could last several days—has drawn comparisons with the struggle between government and unions in November-December 1995 when the country was paralysed for around three weeks.