French strikes over pension reform plans to disrupt public transport on Tuesday

Industrial action in France over the government's planned pensions overhaul will cause heavy disruption to public transport again on Tuesday, the transport minister and several public transport authorities said on Sunday. For the sixth time since the start of the year, unions are calling for a nationwide day of strikes and demonstrations, aiming to repeat the large turnout seen on the first major protest on Jan. 19 when more than a million people marched against the pension reform. "There will be very strong impacts," Transport Minister Clement Beaune said in an interview with France 3 TV station, adding that he expected the strike to be "one of the most difficult ones" for travellers since the start of the protests. France's DGAC aviation authority said earlier this week it had asked airlines to reduce flights by 20% at Paris Charles de Gaulle airport and by 30% at Orly airport on March 7-8.<br/>