France faces second wave of strikes against pension reform

Issuance of: 2023/01/30 – 18:58

An estimated 1.1 million people took to the streets on January 19, the day of the first strike, according to official statistics. It was the biggest demonstration since right-wing President Nicolas Sarkozy’s massive round of pension reform in 2010.

Security forces are expecting crowds of similar size at 240 demonstrations across the country on Tuesday, in addition to the disruption of large-scale strikes on transportation, education and other services.

The government and opposition parties are desperately trying to sway public opinion before more bitter and costly confrontations are expected if there are more strikes next month.

Far-left MP Mathilde Panot of the France Unbowed (LFI) party blamed President Macron and his ministers for the outages, which are expected to disrupt public transport and other services.

“They want to wreak havoc,” she says.

Work until you’re 64!

The most controversial part of the proposed reform is raising the minimum retirement age from the current 62 to 64.

President Macron made the change part of his re-election manifesto last April, arguing the reforms are essential to guarantee future funding. pension systemis projected to be in the red in the next few years.

Opponents point to the system now being balanced, with the chairman of the independent Pensions Advisory Committee recently telling parliament that “pension spending is not out of control, but relatively constrained”. There is

Age limit non-negotiable

The government, led by Prime Minister Elisabeth Born, has suggested some measures are up for debate as a parliamentary committee began reviewing the bill on Monday.

Things could improve for those who started working very young, mothers who took a break from their careers to care for their children, and those who invested in further education, Born suggests.

But the 64-year-old headline age limit isn’t up for debate, she said on Sunday, saying there was “no room for negotiation.”

Laurent Berger, CFDTs The union warned that the Borne “cannot remain unheeded by this formidable mobilization.”

“Listen, listen, listen to this complaint,” he told France 2 television.

Impact on travel, school

Most Paris metro and suburban rail services will be severely restricted on Tuesday, operator RATP said, according to the SNCF, but intercity travel will be severely disrupted with a third of high-speed trains.

Expect only minor disruptions to international train services on Thalys and Eurostar.

Air France has announced that it will cancel 1 in 10 short and medium haul flights, leaving long haul flights unaffected.

Half of first-degree teachers will go on strike Tuesday, according to Snuipp-FSU, a major primary.

In a press release, the union said: “In a situation where working conditions are deteriorating and hopes of getting a better salary are fading in the process of consultations with the Ministry of Labor, teachers are refusing to work until the age of 64.” Says.

Parliament and struggles on the streets

Macron and his allies face struggle not only in parliament but also on the streets.

Left-wing opposition parties have submitted more than 7,000 amendments to the bill to delay its passage through parliament during debates on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Macron’s centrists do not have an absolute majority in parliament, so a vote from conservatives would be required to approve the pension plan.

A new poll by the OpinionWay Research Group released Monday Les Echoes The newspaper said 61% of French people supported the protests, up 3% from 12 January.

Interior Minister Gérald Dalmanin said 11,000 police, 4,000 in Paris alone, would be deployed across France on Tuesday to ensure the demonstrations were held peacefully.