France faces day of strikes as disruption to hit travel, hospitals and schools
Travel warning as France faces day of strikes and disruption
- French trade unions have called for widespread strikes and street protests across France on Thursday to oppose proposed budget cuts and austerity measures.
- The action targets new Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu, urging him to abandon his predecessor's draft budget, which includes social welfare freezes and policies unions deem detrimental to workers' purchasing power.
- Unions also continue to denounce President Emmanuel Macron's pension reform, which increased the minimum retirement age from 62 to 64.
- Outgoing Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau anticipates "very strong mobilisation" and has announced the deployment of approximately 80,000 police and gendarmerie officers, warning of potential blockades and violence.
- Significant disruptions are expected across public transportation, hospitals, and schools, with regional and Paris metro lines particularly affected, though high-speed trains and airports anticipate fewer issues.