Teachers, train drivers, pharmacists, and hospital staff across France went on strike Thursday, while high school students shut down their schools, in a nationwide day of protests against looming budget cuts.

Trade unions are demanding the government scrap planned austerity measures drawn up by the previous administration, boost spending on public services, raise taxes on the wealthy, and abandon a widely unpopular reform that increases the retirement age.

In Paris, most metro lines were suspended for the day, operating only during peak morning and evening hours. Students also blocked entrances to several schools in protest.

The unrest comes as President Emmanuel Macron and his new prime minister, Sébastien Lecornu, face mounting pressure from parliament and investors concerned about the growing deficit in the eurozone’s second-largest economy.