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By Doug Cunningham

Helene Bonneau of the French labor federation, CGT says the French transport strike is a defense not only of pensions but the overall social contract French workers have won through decades of struggle. Bonneau says the right-wing Sarkozy government is not unlike Ronald Reagan in its attack on workers and their unions.

[Bonneau]: "Government wanted a clash in order to get rid of the trade union movement. So we have to avoid a clash that would be destructive for the trade union movement. And at the same time, we want to achieve something in terms of pensions for all the workers concerned."

The Socialist Party in France supports the strike. Bonneau says negotiations are underway on the reforms Sarkozy is demanding, but she says Sarkozy is trying to dictate the framework while threatening to impose changes that would force public workers to work more years before qualifying for full pensions.