Wednesday notes

I wish our friends across the pond luck in preparing their Thanksgiving dinners for tomorrow. Gobble, gobble, gobble. Meanwhile, winter is lurking on our doorstep, with a distinct drop in temperatures due in a day or so. Time I put one of Donna's creations up.



French public transport has been severely disrupted by a strike over terms and conditions, including special benefits. To make matters worse, signal equipment has been destroyed or damaged by allegedly militant strikers, determined to scupper attempts to reach a deal between government and trades unions. As a result, high speed rail services across the country have been delayed. The action has been condemned by union leaders, as it jeopardises the safety of the travelling public. The government, led by president Sarkozy, has pledged not to give in to the strikers' demands. The strike is unpopular with the French public, as it has played havoc with their daily commutes.

French trades unions are very militant, and have a record of successfully thwarting government proposals that they deem go against their members' interests. A militant element is a known part of that. British trades unions used to be like that, but were emasculated by Margaret Thatcher's government in the 1980s, following a year-long strike by coalminers.