Workers' Strikes Hit London, France

London's tube([英]地铁) workers went on a 24-hour strike starting Monday evening that left ____1____ (上下班往返的人，通勤者) struggling to make it to work Tuesday morning.

Buses were ____2____ (偏离) central London because streets were at a standstill(处于停顿状态). Many people were on foot.

This London worker didn't arrive at work until two in the afternoon.

"Normally it takes me 45 minutes and today it took me five hours. I think it was totally unnecessary; it should have been avoided rather than costing all the people trouble because there's been a lot of traffic and disruptions(中断，扰乱) all over."

Thousands of workers on London's ____3____ (交通系统) walked out because they say proposed job cuts will hurt the service and create safety risks.

Bob Crow is leader of transport union RMT. VOA asked him if the strike is successful.

"Very successful. There's been major disruption and I think London Underground know we're serious now about trying to defend our members' interest."

London wasn't the only European city to be hit by workers' strikes on Tuesday. In Paris and across France unions mounted(发动) major strikes in protest against planned ____4____ (退休金，养老金) reforms. Train and air travel, as well as schools and hospitals were disrupted by the strikes.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy says he'll raise the retirement age from 60 to 62, a plan that has met with virulent(充满仇恨的，敌意的) protest from many French workers. Union leaders said they hoped up to two million people would take to the streets.

65 is a common retirement age across Europe. Germany and Britain have plans to raise that ____5____ (门槛) to 67 or beyond.

British Union leader Crow says workers across Europe are fighting for their rights. "Workers in France are fighting back, they're fighting back all over the place -- Greece, in Ireland, in Portugal, in Spain. And it's quite clear that people are not prepared to be pushed around, they're prepared to stand up and fight."

In London, the strike was set to carry on into the evening. Tuesday afternoon, one worker said she was dreading(担心) the commute home.

"When it's cold and wet I don't think I'm going to like walking very much, so yeah, it will probably annoy me a lot more then. And I'm dreading trying to get home tonight.

London's tube workers have more strikes planned for October and November.

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