French public sector workers went on strike Tuesday against President Emmanuel Macron's plans to cull jobs and toughen pay conditions, forcing airlines to cancel hundreds of flights and disrupting school activities.

It is the first time in a decade that all unions representing more than 5 million public workers have rallied behind a protest call.

While unions said some 400,000 people turned out across the country, police estimates across cities appeared substantially lower than the unions.

Protests last month against labour law reform that were led by private sector unions failed to persuade Macron to change policy course, but the French labour movement has traditionally been more muscular in the public sector.

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