French Unions Plan Record May Day Marches

Hundreds of thousands of people are expected to march through the streets of France today as the traditional May Day rallies become a focus point for anger over factory closures, job cuts and Nicolas Sarkozy's handling of the economic crisis.

Union leaders are already calling the day "historic" as a record number of almost 300 demonstrations are planned across the country. All trade unions will march as a united front for the first time on May Day since the second world war.

Public support for the demonstrations is over 70%, as protesters take to the streets for various reasons – many are angry at mass lay-offs while they feel a fat-cat boss class is being protected by the government.

Unemployment, France's greatest worry, is rising at its fastest rate in a decade as France enters its deepest depression since the war. Others joining the marches are opposed to the French president's reform of universities and hospitals.

Unions are hoping that today's bank holiday will bring out record numbers to rival the 2.5-3 million who took to the streets in March protests. Today's demonstration is the third national protest over the handling of the economic crisis in four months. Unions will meet on Monday to decide whether to organize a general strike for the coming weeks.

Tension is growing in France over factory closures and lay-offs. Workers' protest actions are getting more radical – a wave of "boss-napping" by desperate workers intensified last month and some protesters ransacked the state offices.

The peaceful marches planned for today come as unions try to calm the mood and harness workers' anger. The former prime minister Dominique de Villepin has warned of a "revolutionary risk" in France. In one poll yesterday for Challenges magazine, 66% people felt there was a risk of "social explosion" over the coming months.