France is facing a second day of travel chaos and understaffed schools and hospitals on Friday as unions said there would be no let-up in a strike against Emmanuel Macron’s pension reforms until the president backed down.

Much of France ground to a halt on Thursday as transport workers went on strike joined by teachers, doctors, police, firefighters and civil servants. Smoke and tear gas swirled through the streets of Paris and Nantes, as the protests escalated into violence.

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The strike pits the macron, 41-year-old former investment banker who took office in 2017 on the promise of the opening of France’s heavily regulated economy, against the powerful trade unions, who say that he is determined to dismantle the protection of workers.

Natasha Butler of “al-Jazeera”, which is in Paris, said: “the Main violation is still connected with the public transport, and air traffic controllers on strike too.

“The transporters say that they want to continue the strike, as over the next few days. They believe that all they have to lose from the government’s plan to reform the pension system because they have special privileges, allowing, for example, to retire early”.

Was cancelled in the rush hour train to Paris on Friday and 10 of the 16 metro lines were closed while others ran a limited service. When passengers got in their cars, traffic jams clogged the roads in and around the capital.

Railroad workers have extended the strike until Friday, while the trade unions in the Paris bus and subway operator RATP stated that their care will continue until Monday.

“We’re going to protest during the week at least, and at the end of this week that the government is going to retreat,” said 50-year-old employee of transport of Paris Patrick DOS Santos.

The main trade unions were to meet on Friday morning to determine the next course of action.

The result depends on who will blink first – the trade unions, who risk losing public support if the violation continues for too long, or the President, whose two-and-a-half years of his presidency was rocked waves of social unrest.

According to the Minister of education, Minister of education yuan-Michel Blanker, requires a deep reform, to put a generous pension system on a sustainable basis. Less teachers expected to strike on Friday, he said.

“It would be much easier for us to do nothing, like others before us,” Said Blanker BFM TV. “We could see through the five-year term without deeper reforms. But if every President of the reasons, s thus, our children will not have an acceptable pension system.”

Industrial action on Thursday launched tens of thousands of protesters on the streets of Paris and forced to close the Eiffel tower and part of the Louvre.

Trade Union leaders were supported by health care workers, railway workers and teachers who listened to the call of the strike and the number of persons who attended an anti-government March in Paris and other French cities.

“There’s a noise in the streets, I hope that the Windows of the Elysee the evidence is open,” said Philippe Martinez, General Secretary of the Union CGT, referring to the President’s office.

Macron wants to simplify the cumbersome pension system, which consists of more than 40 different plans. For example, railroad workers and seamen can retire ten years earlier than the average worker.

Macron said that the system is unfair and too diagostic, and that the French have to work longer, although he doesn’t seem to just want to raise the retirement age to 62 years.

One alternative is to restrict benefits to those who cease to work until 64 years and to give incentives boost for those who leave later.

Butler al Jazeera said, “No one really knows what the government plans to reform the pension system, but the government said they will reveal details (next week) “.