Burnt rubbish on Paris streets after pension protests

STORY: Rubbish bins, left uncollected due to garbage collectors strikes, were torched in Paris in the evening. Trade unions urged workers to step up and briefly blocked the Paris ring road on Friday.

The pension overhaul raises France's retirement age by two years to 64, which the government says is essential to ensure the system does not go bust. Unions, and most French, disagree.

More than eight out of 10 people are unhappy with the government's decision to skip a vote in parliament, and 65% want strikes and protests to continue, a Toluna Harris Interactive poll for RTL radio showed.

A broad alliance of France's main unions said they would continue their mobilization to try and force a u-turn on the changes. Protests took place in cities including Toulon on Friday, and more were planned for the weekend. A new day of nationwide industrial action is scheduled for Thursday (March 23).