Thousands in Paris protest Macron's pension reforms
STORY: Macron's plans to raise the pension age by two years to 64.
The proposal to make people work longer is deeply unpopular amongst the wider public, opinion polls show. Street protests took place in more than 300 towns and cities.
France's leading trade unions have so far acted with rare unity, but the coming days and weeks will be a test of their ability to maintain that united front.
The CFDT, now France's biggest trade union and generally reform-minded, has not committed to the rolling strikes sought by the hardleft CGT, Force Ouvriere, and others.
The government insists its reform plan is essential to ensure the pension system does not go bust.
