French Unions Hold Last-Ditch Protest

PARIS (AP) -- French unions are staging what's likely to be their last show of force against a labor bill that has divided the nation and prompted the worst social unrest in years.

A march through Paris on Tuesday afternoon comes as the lower house of Parliament takes up the bill for a second time.

The government says the bill — which makes it easier for companies to hire and fire employees and extend working hours — would boost hiring. Opponents say it won't work and will cripple hard-won worker protections. They have staged months of protests.

The Socialist government forced the first reading through the National Assembly without a vote. The government may use the same tactic on the second reading, which starts Tuesday, after the Senate rewrote the bill.

(KA)