Air France Strikers Scent Blood

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THE FRENCH government's climbdown over the Air France strike has failed to halt industrial action at Paris's airports and appears to have convinced unions in other industries that militancy is the best policy.

The decision to withdraw plans to cut 4,000 Air France jobs - and the subsequent resignation of the airline president, Bernard Attali - was expected to get the striking ground staff back to work. But it seems to have inspired them to stay away until further demands are met.

It has also encouraged other unions, especially in nationalised companies, to try to force concessions from the government. Union leaders proclaimed yesterday, using a slight rewriting of …