Unions are organising street demonstrations throughout France today to protest against a plan to raise the retirement age but they are mostly symbolic after parliament approved the reform.

The French parliament is expected to grant final approval to a contested plan to raise the retirement age from 60 to 62 today, a reform that has sparked street protests and strikes.

The French government today claimed they were winning the battle against strikers causing countrywide disruption with protests against pension reforms.

France’s massive strikes appeared to be losing momentum today as rubbish collectors in the southern city of Marseille went back to work and workers at three oil refineries voted to end their protest.

France’s strikes over changes to the country’s pension system are costing the national economy more than €400m per day, the finance minister said.

The protest strikes sweeping France are costing the country up to €400m each day, the government warned today.

France’s Senate has approved a contested pension reform raising the retirement age to 62 despite months of nationwide protests and strikes.

French police have forced open a pivotal fuel depot blockaded by strikers opposing major pension reforms, as the country’s Senate prepares to vote on the measure today.

The French government today moved to cut short Senate debate on its controversial bid to raise the retirement age as unions vowed to keep up the campaign which has hit petrol supplies and brought thousands onto the streets.

Police broke through barricades around French fuel depots today as the government took a tough line with strikers threatening to bring the country to a halt.

French authorities forced strike-shuttered fuel depots to reopen today to ensure petrol supplies keep flowing, and the interior minister threatened to send in paramilitary police to stop rioting on the fringes of protests against raising the retirement age to 62.

France’s retirement protest strikes turned violent today as youths clashed with riot police in cities across the country.

Some airlines steered clear of France today, and police clashed with stone-throwing youths, as a new round of nationwide strikes and protests over a bill raising the retirement age to 62 kicked off.

Another day of nationwide strikes is planned in France in protest against President Nicolas Sarkozy's plan to raise the age of retirement.

France will be plunged into more strike chaos tomorrow with the threat of fuel shortages, street protests, and disrupted public transport and air travel.

Striking French oil workers defied the government’s demand to drop their action and end fears of nationwide fuel shortages today.

France was today hit by the third day of a strike over retirement reform plans, disrupting train travel and raising concerns about a possible fuel shortage.

French commuters faced a second day of chaos today as unions pressed on with an open-ended strike against the government’s plan to raise the retirement age by two years.

Strikers tried to shut down France today with airports, public transport, schools and the postal service all hit in a showdown over government attempts to raise the retirement age.

French unions and president Nicolas Sarkozy go head to head again today in the continuing row over his plans to raise the retirement age.

France's senate today approved raising the retirement age from 60 to 62 even as unions are promising new protests.

France will face two new rounds of nationwide protests next month against the government’s plans to raise the retirement age, union leaders said today.

Flights between Ireland and France have been cancelled or delayed because of a 24-hour strike there.

French commuters squeezed on to limited public transport and fought for rare parking spots today as a second round of strikes against President Nicolas Sarkozy's plan to raise the retirement age from 60 to 62 hobbled trains, planes and schools across France.

France’s National Assembly approved a sweeping retirement reform plan today, including a highly contested measure to increase the retirement age from 60 to 62.

Hopes of an end to the French transport strike rose today after President Nicolas Sarkozy accepted a union offer for talks.

Parisians are braced for rush-hour chaos today as a nationwide strike was expected to cripple the public transport system and give President Nicolas Sarkozy his first real test after five months in office.