National Business
French unions hold strikes, protests against Macron policies
The Associated Press
May 09, 2019 06:08 AM
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Public sector workers chant slogans during a demonstration in Marseille, southern France, Thursday, May 9, 2019. French unions are holding strikes and protests against 120,000 job cuts and other deep changes to France’s huge public sector by President Emmanuel Macron’s government.
Claude Paris
AP Photo
PARIS
French unions are holding strikes and protests against 120,000 job cuts and other deep changes to France’s huge public sector by President Emmanuel Macron’s government.
France’s unions have been eclipsed by the yellow vest movement in recent months, and are now trying to capitalize on its success in getting Macron to backtrack on some of his pro-business policies.
Waving union flags of all colors, activists marched in Paris, Marseille and other cities Thursday. Strikes hit some schools, airports and hospitals.
In addition to job cuts, medical workers are angry at changes to public hospital financing. Teachers are angry at hiring changes they say will add to workloads.
Macron says the changes are necessary to make France’s indebted public service more efficient.