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First day of strikes in France against the pension reform, a showdown for Emmanuel Macron, with the increase in the retirement age from 62 to 64 as the main measure provoking protests from the opposition and unions.
The sectors concerned
Transportation, schools, hospitals, and refineries and gas stations are the sectors hardest hit by the unrest.
Most high-speed trains have been canceled and even fewer regional trains will operate. In Paris, public transport operator RATP has warned that three metro lines will be out of service and most others will run at less than half normal levels. The government agency responsible for civil aviation has ordered airlines to cut 20% of flights at Orly airport.
Fuel supplies from French refineries, including those of TotalEnergies and Exxon Mobil Corp., will also be affected by the strike. In addition, according to education sector unions, 70% of teachers in kindergartens and primary schools will remain at home.
protest numbers
The Ministry of the Interior will deploy 10,000 police and gendarmes to face a mobilization that, at least according to the organizers’ intentions, could reach a million people.