French Workers Strike in 260 Cities Over Wages as 16% of Teachers Walk Out
Updated
Updated · Al Jazeera English · Nov 5
French Workers Strike in 260 Cities Over Wages as 16% of Teachers Walk Out
3 articles · Updated · Al Jazeera English · Nov 5
Summary
Hundreds of thousands of people were expected to march across France on Thursday, with early rallies in Marseille, Lyon and Nantes before a 13:00 GMT protest in Paris.
Workers and unions say surging living costs are driving demands for a higher minimum wage, broader pay rises, tax changes and better school conditions.
Riot police fired tear gas at a demonstration in Lyon, while Macron held a security meeting on Wednesday to prepare for unrest and maintain public order.
The strike follows student-led protests that began in September and has spread into a wider challenge for France ahead of April's presidential election, with Marine Le Pen leading polls.