France goes on strike

France was hit with a national strike today affecting public services from transport to schools in protest at government reforms.

Unions were hoping to drive home the message behind the defeat of President Nicolas Sarkozy’s party in regional elections at the weekend.

Angered by economic and social reforms, they see the strike as a new round in the voting that strongly favoured the left and gave Mr Sarkozy’s conservatives control of only three of 26 regions.

Mr Sarkozy fired his labour minister, Xavier Darcos, after the electoral defeat.