French unions have reignited their fight against President Emmanuel Macron's pension reform plan, as the law is set to be debated in the National Assembly. But participation in strikes and protests may be declining.
Image: picture-alliance/NurPhoto/J. Gilles
Advertisement
A new round of protests across France on Thursday has led to the closure of iconic sites like the Eiffel Tower, as French unions keep up the pressure on President Emmanuel Macron and his pension reform plans.
The protests were at their peak in December and early January, lasting for an uninterrupted seven weeks. Nonetheless, the French president's pension reform was passed by his Cabinet and has been brought before the National Assembly.
Macron has argued that the new system will be fairer, as all pension contributions will result in the same level of payment. He has also argued that a single system is more suited to fragmented modern careers.
Unions have challenged Marcon's logic, saying the reform will force most people to work longer and could weaken the pension rights of those who have suffered periods of poverty or unemployment.
Thursday's protests took place Paris, Nice, Montpellier, Bordeaux and other major cities, according to French newspaper Le Monde.
The number of protesters has declined since the demonstrations started last yearImage: Reuters/C. Hartmann
Demonstrations in Paris had a much lower turnout than those of the past couple of months. CGT union head Philippe Martinez acknowledged as much, speaking at a march in eastern Paris.
"Not everybody is in the street, but there are actions every day," Martinez said. "We are far from being at the end of the movement."
According to Le Monde, a major discrepancy remains over turnout at the protests. French Interior Ministry figures and those reported by the unions differ with the government figures showing that participation in strikes and protests is steadily declining.
The first debate of the pension law at the National Assembly will take place on February 17. On this day, the leading union at Paris public transport firm RATP has called for its workers to strike.
"Unsa-RATP restates its unfailing opposition to this reform project and calls on all workers to make February 17 a black Monday for public transport," the union's secretary-general Laurent Djebali said in a statement.
The last time that transportation employees participated in a labor stoppage, Paris public transit was brought to a virtual standstill.
jcg/sms (Reuters, dpa)
France on strike — in pictures
French public sector workers are striking over controversial pension reforms proposed by President Emmanuel Macron. Schools closed, transport is disrupted and emergency rooms are operating with minimum staff.
Image: Reuters/G. Fuentes
Walkout causes gridlock
Many workers hoped to return to work on Friday. Some commuters opted to hire bicycles and scooters and others took their cars. This led to large traffic jams in French cities. There were nearly 300 kilometers of traffic jams in the Paris region.
Image: Reuters/C. Platiau
Transportation grinds to a halt
90% of high-speed trains and 70% of regional trains were cancelled on Friday, the French railway announced. The French civil aviation authority instructed airlines to reduce their Friday flight traffic from central airports to 20%.
Image: Reuters/C. Platiau
A fairer system?
Public sector workers are unhappy about a reform that would see France transition to a points-based pension system from its current system that has 42 sector-specific pension schemes. Currently, rail workers, mariners and some ballet dancers can retire up to 10 years earlier than other workers. President Macron said that the proposed system would be fairer for everyone.
Image: imago images/IP3press/G. Jeremias
Pensions debate without movement
Macron's proposals follow a long tradition of French government pension reform proposals stretching for three decades. Each reform has been met with massive demonstrations and none of the changes has succeeded in simplifying the pension system.
Image: Reuters/B. Tessier
United behind a low retirement age
Years of protests against pension reforms have successfully kept the retirement age low. In France, the pension age was raised to 62 years. This is among the lowest in OECD countries, despite being raised from 60 years in 2010 reforms. In Germany, retirement is at 67 years old.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/C. Mahoudeau
Stronger together?
French union leaders are the driving force behind the nationwide strike — but they are not united. The CGT union is the most hardline. It rejects any pension reform proposals and said workers had blocked seven out of eight of the countries oil refineries. The CFDT union is more moderate and is open to the idea of a points-based system.
Image: picture-alliance/Zuma/J. Colburn
Protests sparked
While the majority of protesting consisted of peaceful marches, masked protesters also vandalized bus stops, smashed shop windows, and threw fireworks at police as demonstrators progressed through Paris on Thursday.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/J. Mattia
Seeing red at pension proposals
The so-called Yellow Vests are known for their direct approach to protesting and have said they would join the strikes. Authorities are bracing themselves for possible violence. The yellow-vest movement has swelled into anti-government and anti-inequality protests. Many see the general strike in France as protecting the country's social safety net — not just about preserving pensions.
Image: Reuters/J.-P. Pelissier
Riot police move in
After peaceful protesting escalated to include rioting and damage to public and private property, security forces also intensified their tactics. Riot police charged crowds and fired tear gas to disperse violent demonstrators.
Image: Reuters/Herault Infos
Police and protesters clash in Paris
Police clashed with protesters on Thursday in Nantes, Montpellier, Paris as well as other cities. Masked demonstrators started fires, smashed storefronts, and vandalized cars.
