In protest against the planned increase in the retirement age from 62 to 64, numerous workers in France went on strike today. Hundreds of thousands of people are expected to take part in demonstrations in more than 200 cities.
Many primary schools remained closed, public radio broadcast music instead of the usual morning show, and employees of the energy company EDF slightly reduced electricity production. Train connections and local transport in Paris were severely disrupted.
First attempt 2019 put on hold
Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne announced the details of the pension reform last week. President Emmanuel Macron had already tried in 2019 to simplify the complicated French pension system and make the French work longer. This led to the longest wave of protests since the 1968 student revolt. The renovation project was initially put on hold due to the CoV pandemic.
“It will be a strong day of protest,” CGT union leader Philippe Martinez told the Public Senate. “When all unions agree, which is rare, it shows how big the problem is,” he added. The eight largest unions jointly called the strike. “A lot of people who don’t usually take to the streets are there this time,” Laurent Berger, head of the CFDT union, considered moderate, told broadcaster BFM.