The sun was shining in Paris on Tuesday, perfect conditions for France’s biggest unions to rally the troops for a protest against the government’s latest attempts to kill off the 35-hour working week.

Yet in spite of the crowds that gathered at the Place de la Bastille, the protest was strangely devoid of passion. Elsewhere in Paris, the streets were quiet and public transport hardly affected. Although unions insist that Tuesday marked the beginning of a fierce social battle over the rights of ordinary workers, it is hard to believe that the general public feels the same way.