In theory many union workers have drifted back to work though according to the Metro website, disruptions continue. (Different Metro lines in Paris have different unions, with some more radical than others.) In the mean time streets are full of bad drivers from the suburbs and velib bikes continue to be in demand by commuters. Support for Sarkozy continues to remain high and a strong majority support him in addressing this issue.
The issue here is fairness. Most people in France no longer support easier retirement plans that were based on work conditions that made sense years ago (when coal was used, for example) but are out of step with the times. The system in France needs reform and the left failed miserably to offer their own ideas which is why they lost so badly in the recent elections. Even today the left is disorganized and lacks support. The elections in May weren't a 51/49 split as we've seen in the US presidential elections but an old fashioned blowout. As much as the French hate change, they demanded change at the polls and they still support that position.
Moving forward, this may not be the "Thatcher moment" that the media wants but the system in France will change. It has to change. France is currently listed as the worst market in the world for business-labor relations and that doesn't help anyone in any way. France needs to solve this problem if it wants to get the economy rolling again because decades of 8%-10+% unemployment just won't cut it any longer.
