Protesters, including several "yellow vests", rally in Marseille against France's pensions reforms on the 13th day of a nationwide strike that has crippled public transport and closed schools.
The labor unions according to a source called on teachers, doctors, and other public sector workers to join the third mass protest against the government’s proposed reform to the pension system after a broad plan was published last week. Transport workers have been on strike for 13 straight days, disrupting rail links nationwide as the holidays approach.
The unions have pledged to keep protesting until the government withdraws the reform. Union activists consider any attempt to raise the retirement age a “red line.” They are particularly angered by the proposal to reduce the pension payout for those who retire at the legal age of 62, encouraging workers to wait until 64 to receive their full pension.
Among developed countries, France still has one of the lowest retirement ages. But its pension system is one of the most expensive and, as life expectancies rise, the deficit is growing.
Key resignation: The man charged with executing the pension reform, Jean-Paul Delevoye, resigned on Monday over a conflict of interest: He failed to declare 13 private sector positions he holds, including a volunteer job at an insurance training center that could benefit from the planned reform.
Key resignation: The man charged with executing the pension reform, Jean-Paul Delevoye, resigned on Monday over a conflict of interest: He failed to declare 13 private sector positions he holds, including a volunteer job at an insurance training center that could benefit from the planned reform.
His departure is a blow for French President Emmanuel Macron, who pledged to streamline the system when he was elected. Macron is expected to replace Delevoye quickly.
In 1995, France’s public sector workers forced another government to abandon its planned pension reform by shutting down transportation networks just weeks before Christmas. The union organizers are hoping to do the same this year, but their path to success remains unclear—particularly as their demands grow broader.
In 1995, France’s public sector workers forced another government to abandon its planned pension reform by shutting down transportation networks just weeks before Christmas. The union organizers are hoping to do the same this year, but their path to success remains unclear—particularly as their demands grow broader.
Will the unions win?
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