NEW : French unions say 2.5 million protested government handling of economy . Specifically , workers are anxious about a range of problems , including low salaries , poor buying power and job insecurity . The protests were the biggest since a wave of strikes in 2008 that crippled France's economy. Government puts figure at about 1 million . Hospital and postal workers , air traffic controllers among those striking . In Paris , most Metro subway lines operating ; buses , trains operating normally .
NEW : French unions say 2.5 million protested government handling of economy . The protests were the biggest since a wave of strikes in 2008 that crippled France's economy. Government puts figure at about 1 million . Hospital and postal workers , air traffic controllers among those striking . In Paris , most Metro subway lines operating ; buses , trains operating normally .