In France, mass protests and strikes began against the pension reform planned by the government and increasing the age of retirement by two years.
Deutsche Welle reports that on Thursday, January 19, many elementary schools were closed, social and legal television and radio companies abandoned the usual program and broadcast music, the movement of railway and urban transport was limited. Many flights were canceled in Parisian airports.
Empress EDF Energy Concern slightly reduced the production of electricity. According to media reports, from 70 to 100 percent of the working refineries of the Totlenergies concern, they participate in the strike. In the morning, demonstrations were held in Nice, Marseille, Toulouse and other cities. Eight largest trade unions were called to the national protest campaign.
Having carried out the reform of the pension system, the country’s president Emmanuel Macron realizes one of his main pre -election promises. On January 10, French Prime Minister Elizabeth Born outlined the main directions of pension reform, in the center of which there is an increase in the retirement age from 62 to 64 years. The minimum term of the employee’s contributions to the Pension Fund is planned to increase to 43 years, and the minimum pension will increase to 1200 euros per month. The purpose of the transformation is to ensure a balanced pension system in 2030.
Trade Unions consider the government’s plans to be strict. A similar step “will cause a powerful blow to all working” Frenchmen, they warned. According to trade unions, the planned changes will be especially painful for those who have started working early and whose expected life expectancy is lower than on average in France.
In 2019, Macron tried to simplify the French pension system and increase the age of retirement. This led to the most long wave of protests since the time of student unrest in 1968, then the project was frozen against the background of the coronavirus pandemic.