Action in France

Neighboring France has also faced industrial action in the last few weeks in protests against President Emmanuel Macron's planned reforms.

France's seven main public sector trade unions have called for a one-day strike next month.

It will be the third daylong walk out by teachers, creche workers, civil servants and other public sector employees since October, in protest at Macron's plans to cut more than 100,000 public sector jobs and tie pay awards to performance.

"Our organizations do not share the objectives pursued by the government, which involve reducing the scope of the public sector with a view to abandoning or even privatizing departments," the unions said in a statement late on Tuesday.

The Finance Ministry announced France's budget deficit would fall faster than expected over Macron's five-year term as growth proves stronger than previously estimated, but the government said there would be no let up in cuts to public expenditure.

Reuters