Fresh protests in France but Euro 2016 chaos fears ease

Fresh strikes and violent protests hit France today, but fears of transport chaos during the Euro 2016 football tournament eased as airport staff cancelled a walkout and a Paris subway strike had little impact.
Half of all trains nationally were cancelled barely a week before Euro 2016 kicks off on June 10, while several people were injured as police clashed with protesters opposed to new labour reforms.
But unions' hopes of bringing Paris to a halt with a Metro strike appeared to have failed with commuters only suffering minor disruption.
And air traffic controllers called off a walkout that had been expected to ground flights over the weekend after reaching a deal with the government.

Labour Minister Myriam El Khomri said: "What the government is doing... Is sorting out each of the situations one by one."
But the unions still have plenty of opportunities to cause trouble during the football championships, which already pose a major security challenge in the wake of last year's jihadist attacks in Paris.

Workers were back on strike at 16 of the country's 19 nuclear power stations, while three unions representing Air France pilots threatened a four-day walkout starting on June 11 in their own dispute over pay and conditions.
Six of country's eight oil refineries have been shut down, or are operating at a reduced level, although last week's petrol shortages have stopped since police cleared away blockades.

Although each of the strikes has its own motivations, the unions are united in opposition to the Socialist government's new labour reforms that have sparked three months of often violent protests.
But Khomri insisted: "We will not withdraw the bill."
Thousands took to the streets across the country today in the latest demonstrations against the reforms, which the government says are designed to make France more business-friendly.
The country was dotted with union blockades.
Activists briefly occupied a signal box at the Gare de Lyon, one of Paris' main rail stations, causing long delays.
Some 125,000 homes lost power in the Loire region when protesters took over an electricity sub-station.

There were violent clashes with police in Nantes, Toulouse and Rennes, while blockades were formed outside a Renault factory in Rouen and a major naval shipyard in Saint-Nazaire.