PARIS — French Prime Minister Manuel Valls on Thursday survived a no-confidence vote prompted by a divisive labor reform, as tens of thousands of protesters took to the streets in the country’s major cities to protest against the law.

Facing almost daily protests and legislative gridlock, the government decided to use a special measure to push the bill through without a vote in the lower house of Parliament.

The conservatives tried to object by setting up a no-confidence vote, but with 246 votes they failed to gather the minimum of 288 needed to bring down the government.

The contested labor reform — including longer workdays, easier layoffs, and weaker unions — will now be debated in the Senate. A date hasn’t been set, but it’s expected to be discussed in the coming weeks.

In his speech to lawmakers, Valls said he is proud of the law because it will help social progress and is an ‘‘indispensable reform’’ in a globalized world.

A rain-drenched march through Paris was largely peaceful Thursday, but police fired tear gas at some rowdy demonstrators and arrested seven people. Similar scenes played out in Marseille and Nantes. The Interior Ministry said a total of 55,000 protesters took to the streets across France.

Associated Press