French unions are preparing nationwide strikes for Tuesday, March 7th, to protest planned pension reforms. It is shaping up to be a major test for both France’s unions and its government.
The strikes come as the government is set to debate the proposed pension reforms in the Senate. The main contention is the raising of the retirement age from 62 to 64. While proponents say the change is necessary to make the pension system work, opponents say it will especially hurt those in physically demanding jobs.
Protesters speaking to Euronews pointed out that low-income, blue-collar work lowers life expectancy:
The pace is increasing but our bodies aren’t keeping up. That’s why it’s hard to work until you’re 60 or older.
It also means those affected will have less time to enjoy their retirements.
Stakes are high and continue to rise. Between Macron’s promise to reform French retirement—the key platform for his second presidential campaign—and threats from the unions, Tuesday’s events may be a deciding factor. It is the intention of Philippe Martinez, leader of the CGT (Confédération Générale du Travail), to “destroy the reform project.”
Objections were forthcoming from Macron’s Renaissance party. The spokesman of the government, Olivier Véran, leaned into environmentalist sympathizers when he warned that putting “France at a standstill” would risk an ecological catastrophe.
The absurdity of his statement was not missed by his detractors. Union leader of the CFDT (Confédération Française Démocratique du Travail), Laurent Berger, quipped on Twitter “is the drought the fault of the unions? The health crisis too? And why not the defeat in the World Cup? Your attempts to discredit an unprecedented mobilization … are rude.”
The impact of next Tuesday’s nationwide strike will be huge. The transportation sector is expected to be particularly hard hit, with the administration already calling for the cancellation of 20%-30% of flights on March 7th and 8th. The UK government has already issued a warning to holidaymakers over the impact on travel.
Both government and unions are still determined to press ahead, the government with the legislation passing into the French senate, and the unions with their industrial action. It remains to be seen who will blink first.
