France: Tens of thousands of public-sector workers marched through French cities yesterday in protests over pay, reforms and job cuts which have sent a sharp warning to President Jacques Chirac's conservative government.
On the third day of protests, some schools closed because of a one-day strike by teachers. A stoppage by air traffic controllers grounded flights at Bordeaux in western France.
The protests followed a warning strike by rail workers, which severely disrupted rail traffic across France on Wednesday, and protests by energy and postal workers earlier this week.
Organisers said that up to 30,000 people had protested in Marseille, 15,000 in Bordeaux, 10,000 in Lyon, 7,000 in Rennes and 3,000 in Le Havre. Thousands more gathered at the start of a march in Paris.
The French government is intent on pressing ahead with economic reforms. However, it is aware that failure to address workers' concerns could prompt voters to punish it by opposing the European Union constitution in a referendum expected before July.
The workers are demanding pay rises which the government cannot afford to meet as it attempts to limit public spending and keep the budget deficit within limits set by the EU.
Many people are opposed to the reforms and have rejected planned changes to the law governing the 35-hour working week, which the government says will make working conditions more flexible and help French industry to become more competitive.
Reuters