October 10
Some 3.5 million public service workers walk off the job for one day to protest proposed cuts in the social security system.
October 26
University students in Rouen begin protest movement demanding increased funding for education. Hundreds occupy regional offices of the Ministry of Education and are brutally attacked by riot police.
October 27
Thousands of parents, students, and faculty members march in the streets of Rouen and occupy university. National demonstration is called for November 9.
November 15
National Assembly approves Prime Minister Alain Juppé's plan to gut social security.
November 21
More than 100,000 students demonstrate throughout France to press for more funding and hiring of additional staff. Thousands of high school students join protests for the first time.
November 24
Several million public workers organize one-day strike. Train, subway, bus, and air traffic grind to a halt as hundreds of thousands demonstrate against Juppé's plan. Rail workers walk off the job.
November 25
Rail workers vote to continue strike indefinitely.
November 28
General Confederation of Labor (CGT) and Workers Force (FO) labor federations organize national one-day strike and demonstrations.
November 30
Some 160,000 high school and college students organize demonstrations throughout the country. Postal workers in mail sorting centers join strike wave. Walkout begins at France Télécom, the national public telecommunications company.
December 1
Opinion poll shows 62 percent of population support strikes. Small businessmen's association calls on government to use military for transportation. Orly Airport workers block runways for two hours.
December 2
Government orchestrates demonstration of 1,000 "users of public transportation" to undermine strikes.
December 3
Government announces plan to use 1,700 private buses to transport people to and from Paris. Education Minister Francois Bayou announces concessions to students - hiring 4,000 additional teachers and university personnel, and more than 2 billion francs in extra credits.
December 4
City of Bordeaux, of which Juppé is also mayor, is paralyzed by strike of bus drivers, garbage collectors, and truck drivers blocking highways leading into the city. Out of 139 mail sorting centers, 109 are on strike.
December 5
Seven hundred thousand demonstrate throughout the country. Almost half of all telecommunications workers are on strike. Juppé gives national televised address refusing to back down.
December 7
One million demonstrate against Juppé's plan. Several thousand striking coal miners in Lorraine demonstrate and battle with riot cops. Government announces more than 2 million public workers are on strike and names mediator to meet with rail union representatives.
December 9
Rail unions meet with mediator, declare he has no new proposals. They call for reinforcing the strike. Workers shut down Eurostar trains connecting Paris with London and Brussels.
December 10
Juppé speaks on national television announcing for first time that negotiations will be held with the unions and that he will personally participate in them. He offers concessions on rail workers' retirement age. Antigovernment demonstrations take place in many French cities - 30,000 in Bordeaux, 25,000 in Caen.
December 12
More than 2 million demonstrate against Juppé's plan throughout France. Strike movement expands.