PARIS, June 13 (UPI) -- Striking workers idled more than half of France's rail travel Thursday. The strikers protested a restructuring plan for the state-owned rail company.
Only about 40 percent of trains were operating because of the strike, but air traffic controllers returned to work after a two-day stoppage of their own, Radio France Internationale reported.
The rail strike began Wednesday evening and is due to end Friday morning, union officials said.
Unions are protesting a government plan to create a new state-owned company that will incorporate, but keep separate, SNCF, the company operating rail services, and RFF, which maintains the rail network.
Executives say the changes will improve rail travel at no cost to taxpayers. Union officials say they fear it will mean the current system will be dismantled, RFI reported.
The strike is also a protest against job cuts. Unions said 10,000 positions have been lost in five years.
The air traffic controllers were on strike for two days to protest plans to create a single European airspace, RFI said.
Their walkout mostly affected short-haul flights, the report said.
