VIDEO: French Strike Over Economic Crisis

The strike aims to highlight fears of growing unemployment and resentment towards bankers blamed for the economic slump.

Hundreds of thousands of French workers staged a nationwide strike on Thursday to try to force President Nicolas Sarkozy and business leaders to do more to protect jobs and wages during the economic crisis.

The strike, in a country with a strong protest culture, aimed to highlight fears over growing unemployment, discontent over Sarkozy's reluctance to help consumers and resentment towards bankers blamed for the economic slump.

It was the first such protest linked to the slump in a major industrialised nation and was backed by the majority of French voters, according to opinion polls.

It did not however paralyse activity as past strikes in France have done. The "black Thursday" announced by media beforehand did not quite materialise.

One in three schoolteachers and one in four staffers at the post office and the electricity company EDF walked off the job, and participation was high in many parts of the public transport network with erratic train, tram and bus services.

The strike cut 11,000 megawatts in power capacity, unions said, but EDF said supplies to customers would not be disrupted.

In a rare show of unity, France's eight national unions have drawn up a joint list of demands for the government and companies, which they accuse of trying to use the crisis as a pretext to lay off workers and cut costs.

"We need to sound a cry of anger," said Francois Chereque, head of the moderate CFDT union.

However, government stability did not seem threatened.

RISING UNEMPLOYMENT

Although France does not face the sort of economic woes that are battering neighbours such as Spain and Britain, its jobless rate is climbing steadily, hitting 2.07 million in November, up 8.5 percent on the year.

The European Commission predicts a French jobless rate of 9.8 percent in 2009 and 10.6 percent in 2010, which would wipe out inroads made in the past few years.

With analysts predicting that the economy will contract by up to 2 percent in 2009, Sarkozy drew up a 26 billion euro ($34 billion) stimulus package at the end of last year that looked to encourage investment and protect major industries.

Union leaders say he should follow Britain's example and offer help for consumers.

"For several months now, especially since the crisis exploded, we have been asking the government for various measures, notably help to boost consumer spending," said Jean-Claude Mailly, head of the Force Ouvriere union.

"Up until now we have not had any response and when you don't get dialogue you get a show of force," he told Reuters.

The unions have a point to prove to Sarkozy, who said in July that "these days, when there is a strike, nobody notices".

Large rallies are planned for numerous cities on Thursday and unions say the government will have to listen.

"Those who thought there was no longer a visible social movement are going to get their answer," said Bernard Thibault, head of the hardline CGT union, in the run-up to the strike.

More in the VIDEO: France hit by national strike , French strikers march for job security and photo gallery French Strike Over Economic Crisis.