Now and again, French reality can surpass the wildest imaginings of fiction. The nation has just lived through ten days that felt like a series of scenes from a poorly-made B-movie: a hijacked ferry, a helicopter rescue mission, abseiling commandos, balaclava-clad rioters, and at least 1m people taking to the streets to chant angry slogans and let off steam. The common theme in all these events is union-led protest—against privatisation, the lack of job security and low wages. But behind the theatrics, measuring the real ability of the trade unions to influence events is somewhat more difficult. Two separate protests underlie the recent wave of eye-catching dramas. One is over the future of SNCM, a loss-making state ferry fleet which links the island of Corsica with the French mainland. In mid-September, when it emerged that the government planned to sell the whole company, unions reacted angrily. They blockaded ports, briefly kidnapped the company's boss, seized a ferry and then set sail from Marseilles. In a ten-minute raid, commandos retook the ferry. Despite a government promise to keep 25% of the firm, protests and blockades spread to Corsica's ports, such as Ajaccio and Bastia: thousands of bewildered travellers were stranded, and riot police were called in to get the ships going.
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