Mass strikes in France over pension age rise
French unions are preparing for a day of mass strikes and protests on Thursday in response to President Macron’s plans to push back the age of retirement.
A new bill, raising the official age of retirement from 62 to 64 is due to go through Parliament.
The demonstrations have caused severe delays. Intercity and commuter train services are badly disrupted, many schools and public services are shut and many flights have been cancelled.
On the Paris metro only the two driverless lines are working normally.
The protests are set to draw tens of thousands of people in Paris and other cities, where police will be heavily stationed in case of violence.
Under the proposals outlined by French PM Élisabeth Borne, from 2027 people will have to work 43 years to qualify for a full pension, as opposed to 42 years now.
The government say it’s a vital measure to safeguard France’s share-out pension system, but the reform is proving deeply unpopular among the public – with 68% saying they are opposed, according to an IFOP poll this week.
All unions in France have condemned the measure, as have the left and far-right oppositions in the National Assembly.
“On Thursday the walls of the Élysée palace must tremble,” Communist Party leader Fabien Roussel said on Tuesday.
