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Poor turnout for nationwide marches against Macron reforms

Street protests organised by trades unions in cities and towns across France on Thursday against President Emmanuel Macron's social and economic policies, notably reform of labour laws, were reported to have drawn a lower turnout than in previous demonstrations in September, with police claiming that 8,000 demonstrators joined marches in Paris against union estimates of 40,000. 

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French unions on Thursday held nationwide protests against President Emmanuel Macron's labour law reform for the fourth time this autumn, reports Radio France Internationale.

Although the turnout was reported to be lower than on previous days of action, the unions vowed to keep fighting policies they claim favour the rich at the expense of ordinary people.

There were demonstrations in some 170 towns and cities across France on Thursday and, although thousands turned out, attendance was down on previous days of action, according to police estimates.

For the first time the Force Ouvrière (FO) federation called on its members to join the protests following a rank and file revolt against its refusal to participate in previous marches.

That did not lead to a show of unity in the southern port city of Marseille, however.

There were two marches there, one of FO members, the other by members of the CGT union, which has spearheaded the protest movement, and its allies, although they met at the final rally.

And radical-left leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon attended neither, joining members of his France Insoumise (France Unbowed) party on the sidelines and criticising divisions in the unions in comments to the press.

Read more of this report from RFI.