Massive strikes strangle Paris for 12th day

Massive strikes in France continued on Monday for a 12th day to protest President Emmanuel Macron's proposed pension reform, causing serious disruptions in transportation, health and the public sector in the capital Paris and other cities.

In Paris, eight metro lines and around 20 metro stations were closed with other lines operating at intervals during the day.

Traffic jams along some 630 kilometers (391 miles) beleaguered Paris and its vicinity.

Also, 61% of train conductors working for national state-owned railway company SNCF went on strike on Monday.

Year-end university exams were also postponed due to the deadlock.

SNCF Director Alain Krakovitch told reporters that the strikes cause the SNCF to suffer a daily loss of €20 million ($22.3 million).

On Dec. 5, France saw one of the biggest strikes in its recent history, with strikers continuing to protest against Macron's pension scheme.

The Interior Ministry said 806,000 people took part in the protests, while labor unions put the number at nearly 1.5 million. Police used smoke bombs to disperse the crowds.

More than 90 people have been arrested, according to police.