French strike against pension reform enters day two

In France, a strike that crippled public transport and closed schools across the country entered a second day today.

Workers from a wide range of sectors are protesting against pension reforms. More than 8 lakh people took to the streets yesterday, with violent clashes reported in a number of cities.

In Paris, police briefly fired teargas during skirmishes with black-clad protesters on the edges of the trade union-led march yesterday. Some protesters set fire to a storage trailer, smashed windows and a bus shelter, and overturned cars.

Trains, metros and bus services were severely hit, some flights were cancelled and many schools were closed. Paris’s bus and metro operator have said their walkout will last until Monday at least.

A nationwide transport strike brought much of France to a standstill and was expected to continue for the next few days as unions dug in, saying the president’s pension changes would force millions of people to work longer or receive lower payments.