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Teachers start national strike in France

06 September 2010 16:47 (UTC +04:00)

Baku â€“ APA. One week after the opening of the school year, college and high school teachers across France stayed at home on Monday as part of a one-day strike to protest against working conditions, APA reports quoting France24. The move by the countryâ€™s two largest teachers’ unions opens what is expected to be a volatile week ahead of Tuesdayâ€™s national strike organised by French labour unions. Union organisers hope to mobilize millions of people at rallies across the country to protest against the governmentâ€™s proposed pension reforms.

The unions are opposed to President Nicolas Sarkozyâ€™s proposal to raise the pension age to 62 years from the current 60 by 2018. Union leaders are also angry over what they perceive as the governmentâ€™s refusal to negotiate, and claim that a national strike is now their last option.