French transit workers back on job Nine-day strike cost the economy billions of dollars

Most striking French transportation workers returned to their jobs Friday, ending the most damaging public transit strike in a dozen years and restoring normalcy to the streets of Paris and other major cities.

President Nicolas Sarkozy said the nine-day strike, which frustrated the public and cost the French economy hundreds of millions of dollars a day, did not diminish his determination to reduce expensive worker benefits and trim the French bureaucracy.

"I have no intention to stop the reform movement, no intention to slow it down, no intention to forget my promises," he said. "I made commitments. They will be kept."

Both sides claimed some victory in the strike, and the main issues remain unresolved. Although the unions have agreed to discuss eliminating special pension programs, as Sarkozy advocated, union leaders said they will make new demands for salary and bonus increases.

Unions also have said they might call strikes in time for the Christmas holidays if negotiations with the government fail.

Prime Minister Francois Fillon praised the French public on Thursday for its perseverance during the strike. "Some people had to make incredible efforts to go to work," he told a group of French mayors. "They gave the image of a France that doesn't give up, that wants to work, that deserves respect and esteem. Believe me, the government heard this France."

The strike clogged city streets with traffic, cut off some rural towns from train passenger and freight service, and inconvenienced workers who struggled to get to their jobs on foot, bicycles and children's scooters.

The strike was the first major threat to Sarkozy's announced plans to change a French social structure that gives generous benefits to many public employees, limits the hours public- and private-sector employees may work, and imposes steep charges on private businesses for employee benefits.

The government and train, subway and bus unions will have negotiations in coming weeks to debate Sarkozy's plan to require transport, energy, opera and other employees to work 40 years instead of 37.5 before retiring with full pensions.

All but 2 percent of the striking workers returned to their jobs Friday. Disruptions remained on nationwide railways because of sabotage during the strike and the failure of some drivers to work.

The train service said on its Web site that delays and cancellations will continue through the weekend, but that full service is likely to be restored by Monday.