work stoppages and protests against the sweeping pension reform continues in Paris and in other cities.
Strejkekaos continues in France, and which is expected to be large demonstrations on Saturday. The unions warn that actions will continue into next week.
Hundreds of thousands have participated in demonstrations in various locations in the country in recent days, and many trains and flights have been set, like schools and government offices have been closed. In Paris, large parts of the Subway closed, and Thursday was the Eiffel tower closed to many tourists ‘ disappointment.
Demonstrations and arbejdsnedlæggelserne is aimed at a long-planned pension reform from the president, Emmanuel Macrons government.
A complete reform in the area was one of the key election pledges from the Macron up to the presidential elections in 2017. Plans for the reform, which was presented in October, involves the introduction of a new pension system in 2025.
The French government has for many months been challenged by the protest movement The Yellow Armour, which is against the Macrons reforms.
A part of the movement’s protests have been the coup of a hard core of activists, which has a very radical agenda, and who has been behind major destruction in Paris.
The current system has no less than 42 different pensionable ages for various professions and jobs.
most workers in France today can retire when they are 62 years of age. This limit has Macron promised not to change, but there are still efforts going on to raise it to 64, which happens under the leadership of reformpolitikeren Jean-Paul Delevoye.
The striking unions claim that the reforms can provide several professional groups poorly, and they have vowed to fight for the reforms to be abandoned.
– Macron is the employers ‘ president. This reform is a disguised gift to them, says Benjamin Amar. He is the spokesperson for France’s second-largest trade union, The General Arbejderkonføderation, the CGT, to The newspaper The Local.
Many frenchmen have seen declining real wages, and they are not prepared to accept new austerity measures in order to strengthen the country’s economy.
/ritzau/AFP
