Hundreds of thousands of people were set to strike and demonstrate in France on Thursday after President Emmanuel Macron vowed to push on with a deeply unpopular pension reform despite escalating anger across the country, Report informs, citing Reuters.
Protests against the legislation - which lifts the retirement age by two years to 64 - have drawn huge crowds in rallies organized by unions since January.
Labor unions said Thursday's ninth nationwide day of action would draw huge crowds against what they described as Macron's "scorn" and "lies."
Macron drew an angry response from unions and opposition parties on Wednesday when he rejected their calls for him to heed growing popular anger.
"The best response we can give the president is that there are millions of people on strike and in the streets," said Philippe Martinez, who leads the hardline CGT union.
Thursday's strike will see train traffic seriously disrupted, with airports also affected, and teachers among many professions walking off the job, while rolling strikes continue at oil depots and amid garbage collectors.