French public transport strike draws to a close

PARIS (Reuters) - A transport strike that has crippled the French rail network wound up on Friday after workers voted to give talks on pension reform a chance, but disruption was likely to last until the weekend.

The number of trains rolling on the national rail network and the Paris underground continued to improve as staff returned to work after most local union committees voted on Thursday to stop their walk-out, which began on November 13.

The dispute has handed President Nicolas Sarkozy his biggest challenge since taking office in May on a pledge of sweeping reform. The government has said the strikes have cost the economy up to 400 million euros ($593 million) a day.

"The strike gives way to negotiations," financial newspaper La Tribune said in a front-page headline.

Paris public transport firm RATP said at midnight it expected 70 percent of the usual number of Metro trains to be running on Friday, with a bus service of 75 percent and 80 percent of trams running.

"It's better than expected," an RATP spokesman said when asked about Paris Metro traffic on Friday morning, adding that around 80 percent of Metro trains were running.

State rail operator SNCF has said it expects high-speed TGV rail links between Paris and other cities to be running normally but only one in two TGV trains linking cities other than the capital would be running.

Regional train lines would be running an improved but still disrupted service, it said.

Rail unions, which met SNCF management and government representatives on Wednesday, are expected to continue talking for at least a month and only one out of eight labor groups, the hardline Sud Rail, has called on its members to carry on striking during the talks.

Separate negotiations are also underway at the RATP.

Sarkozy has vowed to stand firm over the central point of the dispute, scrapping a privilege that allows some transport and energy workers to retire on a full pension 2.5 years earlier than most other employees.

But the SNCF has offered some concessions such as including certain bonus payments in the calculation of pension rights or pay rises for those approaching retirement and union leaders said that some progress had been made.

Public opinion has been firmly on the government's side in the dispute but widespread worries over the cost of living have put pressure on the government not to allow the dispute to escalate and get out of hand.

The protests reached a peak on Tuesday when civil servants staged a separate one-day strike over pay and job cuts, and some unions warned they might renew their protests next month.

(Additional reporting by Gerard Bon; Editing by Dominic Evans)