This archive report was first published on 19 December 2019.
As the French pension reform strike enters its third week, President Emmanuel Macron's government is facing mounting pressure to reach a breakthrough with union leaders. Despite meetings on Wednesday, the two sides remain far apart, with unions opposing key elements of the proposed reform.
At the heart of the dispute is a new 'pivot age' of 64, which workers would have to reach to receive a full pension. This is higher than the official retirement age of 62, and unions are concerned that it will force millions of people to retire later or face reduced payouts.
Unions are also banking on public support for the strike, with an Ifop poll released on Thursday finding that six out of 10 respondents (61 percent) oppose the 'pivot age'. Even the moderate CFDT, France's largest union, has called it a 'red line', although it backs Macron's push to create a single pension scheme out of 42 existing ones.
Protesters staged rallies across France on Thursday, with hundreds marching from the Gare de Lyon in Paris. 'We're entering the crucial period of the mobilisation, just ahead of the year-end festivities,' said Sophie, a teacher at the Paris protest. 'We have to show that we're not going to give up.'
The strike is causing widespread disruptions to daily life, with grid operator Enedis reporting that striking workers had interrupted power supply to over 30,000 homes in southern and northern France. Train operator SNCF has also announced massive cancellations of high-speed TGV trains for December 23 and 24, dashing hopes for a 'Christmas truce'.
Valerie Pecresse, president of the Ile-de-France region encompassing Paris, has called on transport operator RATP to fully reimburse commuters for the mayhem since the strike started on December 5. 'And don't try telling me that some lines still have some trains, because the truth is that for everyone, this minimal service is basically nothing,' she told RTL radio.
