Strikers threaten to blow up French factory, stalling Hollande's bid for economic reforms

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Pharmacies across the country also shut their doors for the day yesterday and staff took to the streets to protest against government plans to deregulate dozens of professions and trades -- from GP surgeries to taxi firms -- who for decades have been sheltered from open competition.

Chemists, for example, are keen to keep their monopoly on selling painkillers by stopping supermarkets from stocking the pills. Notaries -- lawyers who have the monopoly on property transactions -- have also criticized President Hollande in an attempt to continue limiting the number of people who can enter the profession, in which the average monthly income is €13,000.