Following the first wave of strikes against the new labour laws in France on September 12, more dates have been announced for further bouts of industrial action, including a national strike on Thursday, September 21.

SNCF is warning of train delays or cancellations on certain lines from Wednesday, September 20, at 7 pm to Friday, September 22 at 8 am.

Following the adoption of the final version of the five ordinances reforming the Labor Code on Friday, September 15, Jean-Luc Mélenchon, the firebrand leader of “Insubordinate France” called on “the people” to “break into Paris” to demonstrate against what he called the social and undemocratic coup d’état.

Ominously, the militant CGT union may target fuel depots, prompting a warning of a “strike that will have very concrete consequences on the French economy”, from Jérôme Vérité, general secretary of the CGT-Transports federation.

Even retirees are being swept up in the mobilisation, and have been called upon to demonstrate at the call of nine unions and associations (CGT, FO, CGC, CFTC, FSU, Solidaires, FGR, and associations UNRPA, LSR).

A further day of action is planned again for Tuesday, October 10.

READ MORE: Crunch time for France’s labour reform, unions prepare to strike