Following a number or attacks against prison guards by inmates in prisons all over France, a nationwide strike has gone into effect. Guard unions have vowed a "total blockade" of prisons as their dispute with the government over safety improvements and wages goes into the second week. Last week, unions rejected the government’s proposals to end the strike despite the Justice Ministry’s repeated call to resume dialogue. Prison guards want to add 1,100 more guard jobs over the next four years, which the government has refused. Today, there are 28,000 guards and some 78,000 prisoners in France.