How labour reforms pushed France into crisis

France's Socialist government is locked in a standoff with trade unions over a proposed labour law that has sparked strikes and protests across the country.

Two weeks before France hosts the month-long Euro 2016 football tournament, industrial action has caused fuel shortages and disrupted transport, while mass demonstrations against the reforms have often turned violent.

Here are some key dates:

- The bill unveiled -

- February 17: A bill called the El Khomri law, drafted by Labour Minister Myriam El Khomri, is unveiled with the aim of making the French labour market more flexible.

It proposes that local agreements negotiated between companies and their staff take precedence over deals reached with unions across entire industrial sectors; puts an upper limit on severance pay; and sets out in more detail exactly when workers can be fired for economic reasons.

- The first protests -

- March 9: More than 220,000 people turn out across France on the first day of large-scale protests against the proposed law, according to interior ministry figures.

- March 14: A watered-down version of the bill is presented that scraps limits on severance pay. While it is welcomed by some trade unions, others still want the entire document thrown out and call for more demonstrations.

- Rail services disrupted -

- March 31: Demonstrations grow, with official figures saying 390,000 joined protests across the country, while the unions claim the figure was 1.2 million. Striking rail workers disrupt services in several parts of the country.

In Paris, a small number of demonstrators launch a movement dubbed "Nuit Debout", or "Up All Night", based at the Place de la Republique, which has become a rallying point for campaigners since the January 2015 jihadist attacks in Paris.

Three demonstrations in April are marred by occasional clashes with police.

- Major violence flares -

- April 28: Serious violence breaks out on the sidelines of demonstrations across France. They draw between 170,000 and 500,000 people, according to rival counts from local officials and the unions.

- May 10: The government uses a controversial constitutional provision to push the bill through without a vote, infuriating left-wing opponents of the reforms.

- Fuel supplies choked off -

May 19: Industrial action hits rail and air travel, while blockades at refineries begin to choke fuel supplies.

In Paris, masked protesters attack two police officers, forcing them to abandon their vehicle just before it goes up in flames.

- May 23: The action at oil refineries and fuel depots begins to bite in some regions, forcing motorists to queue for hours to fill up.

- May 25: Six of the country's eight oil refineries are blocked. An oil industry body says France has been using strategic reserves of fuel for two days.

- Hollande 'stands firm' -

- May 26: Prime Minister Manuel Valls refuses to change the most contentious part of the legislation, locally negotiated settlements. Most of France's 19 nuclear power stations, which supply three quarters of the country's electricity, vote to strike.

A demonstration by tens of thousands of people in Paris descends into violence.

- May 27: President Francois Hollande vows to "stand firm" on the reforms. Police clear blockades at all fuel depots except one near Paris, hit by a strike. One fifth of French petrol stations still face shortages, and the aviation authority tells airlines to fuel up abroad.