LEAD: Anti-austerity protests in France fail to mobilize workers

Dec 13, 2011, 16:33 GMT

Paris - A call by French trade unions for workers to protest Tuesday over the government's austerity plans went largely unheeded.

Five major trade unions had called for workers to mobilize against the government's plan for 17 billion euros (22.4-billion-dollar) in tax hikes and spending cuts, but stopped short of calling for a general strike.

But there appeared to be little appetite in France for protest.

A march in Paris mustered only 3,500 protesters, according to police estimates.

Bernard Thibault, secretary general of the General Confederation of Labour, had told France 2 television the unions wanted to send a message to the government that 'enough is enough.'

But he also downplayed expectations of a large turnout at protest marches across the country.

'It probably won't meet our expectations,' he said, blaming the 'intransigence of the government,' which he claimed had taught workers that, even if they demonstrated, the government would still 'stick to the same course.'

President Nicolas Sarkozy's government presented two austerity plans between August and September aimed at slashing the budget deficit - estimated to come in at 5.7 per cent this year - and preserving France's top AAA credit rating.

The plan included scrapping a raft of tax breaks, increasing the lowest VAT rate, introducing a new tax on the rich and capping health and social security spending, among other measures.

By contrast with the stinging austerity plans of some other eurozone countries, such as Greece or Italy, the French plan was seen as moderate.