Thousands of people in New Caledonia have marched through the capital Noumea in protest at the high cost of living.
The action is part of a three-day strike aimed at forcing the government to adopt structural reforms.
Walter Zweifel reports.
"The unions claim 10,000 people marched in Noumea yesterday on the first of three days of action. Today it'll be the northern province's and tomorrow the Loyalty Islands Province's turn for rallies against what workers consider to be excessive prices of basic goods. Yesterday's protest closed many businesses and some schools in the Noumea area, and also prompted flight cancellations, including the Auckland to Noumea service. Political leaders, however, are all in France this week for talks with the French prime minister to find a way out of the territory's political crisis, following four government collapses this year."
