France heads for 'hellish' strike as Sarkozy confronts unions

The national rail network faces major disruption starting from 8:00 pm (1900 GMT) on Tuesday. On Wednesday the shutdown will also hit Paris metro and suburban commuter trains. Power workers and students plan to join the protest.

"Tomorrow is going to be a hellish day for travellers and perhaps for many days beyond that," Labour Minister Xavier Bertrand warned.

"Millions of French people will be deprived of their fundamental freedom, the freedom of movement and even perhaps to work," Prime Minister Francois Fillon told parliament.

Police used truncheons and tear gas to break up a student protest at a Paris university in the hours before the strikes which are seen as a make-or-break test for Sarkozy and his reform agenda.

Only 90 of the 700 high-speed TGV trains will be running, commuter service will be severely disrupted in the Paris region and there will be "almost no" metro service in the capital, according to metro operator RATP and rail operator SNCF.

Hours before railway workers were to walk off the job, Sarkozy vowed to carry out economic reforms "right to the end", arguing that he had a mandate to enact the changes.

"I will carry out these reforms right to the end. Nothing will put me off my goal," he told the European Parliament during a visit to Strasbourg.

"The French people approved these reforms. I told them all about it before the elections so that I would be able to do what was necessary afterwards," he said.

Sarkozy called a meeting with the directors of the state SNCF rail company, the RATP and the EDF electricity and GDF gas utilities to "assess the situation and prospects in the coming days," said presidential spokesman David Martinon.

Paris hotels say more than 25 percent of their reservations this week have been cancelled because of the strike, while commuters have flocked to car-pooling and other alternative travel arrangements.

Sarkozy wants to scrap pension privileges that allow some public employees to retire as early as age 50.

Currently the state injects some five billion euros (6.9 billion dollars) a year into the special pensions fund because contributions from workers fall far short of payments.

The last time a government tried to reform the "special" pensions in 1995, three weeks of strikes and demonstrations forced then President Jacques Chirac to climb down.

This time, polls show strong support for Sarkozy in his showdown with the unions.

"It is by vanquishing the street that Sarkozy will win or lose his ability to deepen reforms and put in place the clean break that he announced more than a year ago," the right-wing Figaro newspaper wrote.

Workers at the state-controlled GDF and EDF utilities are also walking out on Wednesday against the proposed pension changes as are employees at the Paris Opera and Comedie Francaise theatre.

Students have shut down 13 of France's 85 universities in protest against a reform law they fear will give business too much of a say in running universities. They are threatening to block railway stations.

French police used truncheons and tear gas to break up a student protest at Paris X University in Nanterre, west of the capital.

A similar strike that started on October 18 enjoyed strong support and union leaders have vowed to stand their ground in the battle with Sarkozy.

"Workers in this country understand that we are not only fighting to defend the pensions of railway workers but also the future of the pension system in this country," said Christian Mahieux, from the Sud-Rail railway union.

"The government will have no other choice but to cede and withdraw its proposal," Mahieux said.

The stoppages could be extended until November 20, when teachers and civil servants plan a strike over job cuts, while magistrates and court clerks take to the streets on November 29.

Unions at the Meteo France weather service also announced a strike starting on November 20.