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GUEST: Tony Cross, Radio France International

Traffic in Paris has come to an almost complete gridlock, as transport workers begin their strike against President Nicolas Sarkozy’s labor reforms. Only a fraction of subways and buses are running, while some suburban commuters had to find other modes of transportation since the trains they normally take are mostly out of service. Sarkozy, who ran his recent bid for President on a largely anti-union campaign, says he will remain firm on his reforms, and it is not known if or when a settlement will be reached. The strike itself is expect to last at least one week, when other civil worker’s strikes are set to begin to protest a plan to cut state sector jobs. New polls published yesterday indicate that Sarkozy’s popularity has started to decline, as students shut down some 20 universities today, demonstrating against education reform laws, and magistrates criticizing a proposal to restructure the courts.