•Major strike of 1995 - largest since
1968
•Began November 24 on railroads
•Gradually other transport and then other public sector workers
joined
•At peak country near standstill and over 1/3 of civil servants
on strike
•Led by FO and CGT. CFDT
leadership opposed
•Polls showed most Frenchmen sympathetic to strikers, not government
•Ended after three weeks with government delaying action on rail
cuts and
retirement but going ahead with health changes and welfare reforms
•5 million work days lost