French Strikes!

If you want a real experience of French life, you need to be in Paris or at least in France during a strike. Well, here's your chance tomorrow and if you can't make it, don't you worry, there will be many other opportunities in the next few months:

France's five largest union federations have called for a day of strikes and demonstrations across the state and private sectors to demand pay increases and investment in public services.

Unions at the state-owned SNCF railway operator and the RATP Paris bus and metro company have also said they will join the strike.

They are also demanding the withdrawal of a new labour contract -- introduced by decree by Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin -- which makes it easier for businesses to fire workers during the first two years of employment.