France's state-run railway operator on Friday predicted major disruptions to regional and Paris area traffic next week during a planned strike by train drivers, AP reported. Efforts to avert the strike faltered Friday as a last major union to negotiate with SNCF rail authority management joined others in promising to honor the walkout. The indefinite walkout is to begin at 8 p.m. (1900GMT) Monday. About two in five high-speed TGV trains will operate as scheduled, while 80 percent of international Eurostar and Thalys trains will run as usual, the rail authority said in a statement. Only about 28 percent of Corail regional trains were expected to run as normal, while most Paris commuter trains will operate at between one-third and one-half of normal traffic, the rail authority said. Labor leaders called the walkout over restructuring, job cuts and pay. Three of the four biggest unions representing drivers walked away from talks with SNCF management earlier in the week. The second-largest drivers' union, FGAAC, said Friday that it too would press ahead with the strike, after talks a day earlier on the maximum number of overnight work hours ended without a deal. The FGAAC said it would remain available for talks until the deadline. That union and the CGT, Force Ouvriere and SUD federation unions together represent 95 percent of all French train drivers. --SP 2221 Local Time 1921 GMT
