Slideshow: French strikes

Hundreds of thousands of French workers held a one-day national strike on Thursday protesting against the government's economic and welfare reforms and the lack of fiscal stimulus measures aimed directly at helping households.Police used tear gas and charged some 100-200 people as protesters began throwing stones and setting trash bins alight. One policeman was reported injured and 13 people arrested.

In Paris, witnesses speaking to AFP news agency said clashes erupted near the Opéra Garnier in the heart of the city after police stopped some people from marching on the presidential Elysée palace.

Union leaders said at least 2.5m people took part in 200 demonstrations in what they said was the biggest protest by employees for 20 years. The interior ministry said the number was 1m.

Protesters take to the streets in the eastern French city of Lyon. Workers across France joined the nationwide strike to try to force President Nicolas Sarkozy and business leaders to do more to protect jobs and wages during the economic crisis.

Workers wave Solidaries trade-union flags as they protest in the streets of Nice, southern France duing France's first major strike triggered by the global financial crisis.

Several French cities saw large protests by striking employees. Bernard Thibault, leader of the communist CGT union, said 1m people had taken part by mid-afternoon.

Schools were badly affected with half of all teachers not turning up for work.

Striking employees at the Euronext stock exchange demonstrate in Paris. Unions taking part in the day of protest have put forward myriad grievances to explain their strike action, reflecting the huge range of employees called upon to strike.

Workers from French state-run railway SNCF protest in the streets of Nice.

Workers from Air France, the French air carrier, protest on the streets of Nice, southern France. All French trade unions have called for their members to take part in large-scale street protests against the right-wing govenment of Nicolas Sarkozy.

A passenger waits for a train at Gare du Nord station in Paris. Rail workers led the walkout by hundreds of thousands of people on the day that the French media dubbed "Black Thursday".

A board announces flight disruptions at Orly airport in Paris. Thirty per cent of departures and arrivals at Orly and 10 per cent at Roissy Charles de Gaulle were expected to be cancelled.

A passenger rests in Toulouse' Blagnac airport hall, southern France.

Parisian commuters braved freezing temperatures and cycled, walked and even took boats to work to beat the transport strike.

A deserted railway station in Toulouse, southern France.