Strike on Europe’s busiest rail line ends after day of commuter chaos in Paris

[Omaha Steve]

Source: rfi

Over a million Parisians on Europe’s busiest railway line faced commuter nightmare on Thursday when drivers went on strike because a passenger assaulted one of their colleagues. Traffic returned to normal on Friday after management met unions.

There were chaotic scenes at stations across the capital after all trains stopped running on the RER A line, which cuts across the city, serving the Disneyland amusement park and La Défense business district and carriying 1.2 million people a day.

The strike began on Wednesday night when a passenger in Torcy, east of Paris, got his hand stuck in the closing doors and then head-butted the driver when he came to deal with the situation.

Drivers across the whole line then decided to go on strike in solidarity, demanding greater security, the first time the entire line has been shut down.

FULL story at link.


Passengers at Châtelet RER station during a strike last year
Flickr/dalbera

Read more: http://www.english.rfi.fr/economy/20150130-commuter-chaos-paris-strike-hits-europe-s-busiest-rail-line

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1.2 million people stranded and where is the US MSM?

[brooklynite]

1. Why should the US media cover a story about a 1 day strike over a fight?

There's probably a strike somewhere in Europe every week. Add to that, the RER "A" line parallels the metro, so at worst commuters had a more crowded trip.

[Omaha Steve]

2. Go on tell me your real feelings on unionized labor

I've got to hear this. I've got time.

[brooklynite]

3. I'm a strong supporter of the right to collective bargaining...

...and when I'm in Europe, I take it in stride when strikes occur. I'm sure you're aware that labor actions in Europe are very different than here: rather than the "fight to the death approach" over a labor contract, they go on strike periodically for a day or a couple of hours.

Still no explanation as to why this was a story the US would particularly care about.

[daleanime]

5. It the kind of story that I would be interested in.....

and if the MSM ever wanted me back, it would be the kind of story they would cover......

[LanternWaste]

7. I believe RFI is a French public radio service broadcast from Paris.

"Why should the US media cover a story about a 1 day strike over a fight?"

I believe RFI is a French public radio service broadcast from Paris rather than US media.

[brooklynite]

9. I was responding to the OPs complaint that US media wasn't covering this by asking "why"?

[LanternWaste]

12. Possibly because it fits four of the five criteria for what is or is not news worthy...

Possibly because it fits four of the five criteria for what is or is not news worthy...

Timing, Significance, Proximity, Prominence, Human Interest. Normally, a news story is required (by editors) to meet a minimum of three of these standards.

[brooklynite]

14. I would argue it fits only two

Timing and Human Interest. It is not proximate, it is not significant to the concerns of its readers (no great fight over living wages or bargaining rights) and it's not prominent (1 subway line for one day).

[LanternWaste]

15. Not being an editor, you can argue anything you wish to without consequence or relevance.

Not being an editor, you can argue anything you wish to without consequence or relevance.

[rjsquirrel]

4. Why the hell

should the US media care about this? It's local news.

[daleanime]

6. Local would be a story about London/Paris....

a story about Europe is international news.

[brooklynite]

8. This is a story about Paris....in fact, one subway line In Paris

It has nothing to do with labor issues in Europe.

[Omaha Steve]

10. I wonder why the NY Times covered this local Paris story???

They must not be MSM anymore.

And the photo that NYT ran of those people that you mentioned weren't inconvenienced in another reply.



Commuters crowded the passageways of the RER Paris-suburban train network on Thursday at the Chatelet-Les Halles station in Paris. Credit Stephane De Sakutin/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

[brooklynite]

13. I can think of several reasons

1) The Times has a urban focus.

2) The Times has historically had a link to European news through its ownership of the IHT.

3) A chunk of its readers travel to Paris.

[Bluenorthwest]

16. Uh, NYers and Parisians both have subways which did not run as planned this week?

Both systems very vital to many residents of both cities....both systems had a shut down.

[daleanime]

11. Yes, you are correct....

I readed too quickly. My apologies.


Still more important a story then the majority of MSM crap.