France workers hold protest to demand higher wages

Paris: Hundreds of workers took part in the major protests in France on Thursday, as the nation braces for a strike involving the yellow vest movement, trade unions, students and workers from various sectors.

Trade unions took part in the protests in France on Thursday to demand higher wages and in support of the high school protest movement, France 24 reported. The protests on Thursday come after French lawmakers rejected the first part of the 2027 budget bill. The French government's original budget proposal will now be presented before the Senate, with a vote set to be held on December 9, Euro News reported.

A parliamentary committee will then try to broker a compromise before the legislation is again presented in the National Assembly.

France has witnessed protests for several weeks, triggered by student demonstrations which began in September against overcrowded classrooms, teacher shortages and problems they face in getting admission to universities.

The protests have since intensified as trade unions have expressed support for demands raised by the students and held marches against the cost of living crisis and increasing prices of fuel.

French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said that over 70,000 law enforcement personnel will be deployed on Thursday. He said that the "primary mission" of security forces was to ensure that protests took place "peacefully" and without any incidents, Euro News reported.

Nunez mentioned that intelligence services had found "considerable interest" from the far-left movement and violent protest groups with "several possible aims: taking part in them to provoke unrest; organising unauthorised marches; and carrying out looting and vandalism targeting businesses or public buildings."

French authorities imposed restrictions on the trade unions' proposed protest route in Paris and gave permission to hold protest on an alternative route. French authorities' decision comes amid security measures taken by the government after violent incidents occurred on October 17-18, where violence and looting took place during peaceful protests, according to the report.

Trade unions and rights groups have criticised what they termed excessive policing and authoritarian measures imposed to restrict protests. French police have also faced allegations of using excessive force against protesters.

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