End To French Transit Strike Seems Near

PARIS, Nov. 22 — A crippling national transportation strike that has lasted nine days appeared to be sputtering to an end in France today as rail workers fighting to retain early retirement rights appeared to grow willing to accept negotiations and voted throughout the country to return to work.

More than 40 union assemblies across France voted to return to work, but more votes were being held. The state-owned rail operator S.N.C.F. hailed the early voting as a sign of a dynamic to return to work and union officials talked about a climate to suspend the strike.

Even if no one was willing to officially celebrate, and weary commuters continued to struggle with crowded trains and mobbed station platforms today, the strike was clearly losing steam. The proportion of rail workers absent on the S.N.C.F. ,

which runs the high speed, regional and intercity train lines , fell to 14.5 percent today compared with 64 percent on the first day of the strike last week.

It has been a symbolic clash that has tested the resolve of the transport unions — fighting an unpopular battle to allow their workers to retire in their 50s — against that of President Nicholas Sarkozy. His campaign for retirement changes is popular with almost 70 percent of the French.

The start of negotiations Wednesday was a critical part of the cycle with more meetings of union negotiators and government officials and rail management scheduled for Monday. The early meetings basically resulted in a calendar of topics for negotiators to discuss.

But the unions were also mindful of growing exasperation with their movement. The popular daily Parisien, declared. Commuters cant take more.

Throughout the ninth day of the strike, there were signs of improvements along the rail lines. Two out of three T.G.V., or high speed, trains were in circulation and up to 50 percent of trains on Paris metro lines were running.

The capitals suburban service remained severely disrupted.

Some of the most combative unions of the R.A.T.P., which operates the Paris regions suburban, metro, bus and tram lines, still held out to battle on.

Rail officials said they expected service to improve on Friday and to function almost normally over the weekend.

The R.A.T.P. is predicting 70 percent of subway trains will be circulating with the hard hit R.E.R. lines almost normal and 75 percent of buses and 80 percent of tramways running.

Prime Minister François Fillon appeared today before a conference of mayors and saluted the unions in anticipation of an end to the strike, praising the responsible attitude of the principle unions that had accepted negotiations. He also praised the patience of the French.

In the past, French commuters shared sympathy for striking transit drivers, but it was much harder this time for train workers to build popular support because the demands were more self-interested.

French railroad workers can retire at 50 or 55 in contrast to 65 for private industry, and they also benefit from legal protections that make dismissals difficult. But there are also other types of employees who benefit from the special retirement privileges, including French lawmakers.

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