I do not have enough factual information to determine the legitimacy. France will need to figure it out for themselves.
This is a bunch of punk kids, agitated by leftists, rioting because they can get fired if they don't do their job (which is only 35 hours a week (and lots of breaks), with 6 weeks of vacation anyway).
According to media reports. I have worked in europe, and they do have a shorter workweek than we do. The holiday weeks sort of make up for the lousy socialized healthcare :)
It's much ado about NOTHING. No legitimacy to it.
When out of touch politicians tinker with people's livelihood, people get testy. And the french go on strike and riot. To see a similar parallel here, cruise any illegal immigration thread regarding the labor impacts.
Sorry, what those pols are doing is interfering with the people's Communism, and the communists get testy when you say that pay must be earned.
I know enough already to realize that it's not about 'tinkering with people's livelihood.' It's an attempt (meager, albeit) to help France's flailing economy and make them competitive in the global economy.
These kids need to ignore the communist instigators and get back to their homework.