paris time angry french workers could tool take streets en masse force minister back things change make president emmanuel macron job push labor reform much easy barely 26,000 attend one paris rally tuesday protest reform fraction hundreds thousands go strike heyday french industrial action freeze activity swathe economy french strike use reflect cool national attitude union militancy plus change approach macron flag reform well advance union leaders turn see power decline mean 39-year-old former investment banker best opportunity generations overhaul france labor laws strategy invigorate eu second-largest economy fundamentally strike-prone country say bob hancke labor relations expert london school economics mid-1990s joke practically everyone trade union member one ever stay 2015 company france lose 69 days strike per 1,000 workers barely fifth late 1990s far cry 1,000 days lose strike per 1,000 workers late 1980s decline accelerate since conservative president nicolas sarkozy pass law 2007 ban wildcat walkouts force public transport unions guarantee minimum service strike possible protest gain momentum macron unveil hard-hitting reform next year include change unemployment benefit pension things far play favor unionists labor experts interview story say one critical factor big nationwide strike achieve little average worker past two decades governments eventually realize could force things say stephane sirot professor cergy-pontoise university important point come 2003 mass public-sector protest pension reform fail convince government budge say last significant nationwide success enjoy unions 1995 weeks protest also pension reform virtually bring economy halt since strike force newly elect president jacques chirac yield major standoffs successive governments mix result main difficulty unions say sirot win anymore take part march paris macron reform tuesday sarah activist 20 years sud nettoyage cleaners union say hard get colleagues strike many demotivated say heart us difficult mobilize say add young particularly ambivalent effectiveness strike street protest around 10 percent french workers unionize accord labor ministry data average member likely old permanent job protest rally paris tuesday marie-josee da silva 49-year old hospital care-worker say march principle rather real hope rally would convince government change course tuesday strike shut french school lead third flight cancel airports overall disruption minimal lack unity among unions also dent protest macron reform many voters say believe change vital restore health french economy economy ministry say 14 percent state civil servants strike 9.5 percent local administration macron careful consult unions ahead publication reform bill also offer small concessions moderate union cfdt large membership buy macron proposals jean-claude mailly leader france third-largest union force ouvriere tell activists last month fight government behind close doors three months union also effectively accept macron reform communist party-rooted cgt spearhead street demonstrations loosen employment laws consultations unions change unemployment benefit job train start thursday government try approach firm basic issue offer concessions sirot others say strategy could work also warn macron plan press ahead next year even contentious legislation may early battle yet war degree resignation people wonder take part rally worth listen say luc berille head unsa one public sector main unions people necessarily walk job protest accumulation resentment nonetheless good one current climate prevail government need maintain contact unions say jean grosset head research industrial relations jean jaures think-tank key sense injustice say grosset former union leader caution government fail tackle sentiment big protest could trigger french strike macron reform get easy ride