Strikes, protests across France test government plan to raise retirement age

At least 1.1 million people protested on the streets of Paris and other cities across France on Thursday amidstrikes against plans to raise the retirement age but French President Emmanuel Macron insisted he would press ahead with the proposed pension reforms.

Emboldened by the mass show of resistance, French unions announced new strikes and protests for Jan. 31, vowing to try to get the government to back down on plans to push up the standard retirement age from 62 to 64. Macron says the measure a central pillar of his second term is needed to keep the pension system financially viable, but unions say it threatens hard-fought worker rights.

Out of the country for a French-Spanish summit in Barcelona, Macron acknowledged the public discontent but said that "we must do that reform" to "save" French pensions.

"We will do it with respect, in a spirit of dialogue but also determination and responsibility," he added.

As Macron spoke, riot police pushed back against some protesters throwing projectiles on the sidelines of the largely peaceful Paris march. Some other minor incidents briefly flared up, leading officers to use tear gas.

WATCH | Parisprotests were mostly peaceful, though some clashes broke out:

Protests turn into chaos in Paris

2 years ago

Duration 1:00

As Parisians take to the streets to speak out against President Emmanuel Macron's pension reform plan, some of the protests devolved into violence as protesters hurled fireworks and glass at the police, while officers responded with their batons and tear gas.

Paris police said that 38 people were detained as a mass of people thronged the streets of the capital despite freezing rain, the crowd so big that it took hours to reach their destination. Retirees and college students joined the diverse crowd, united in their fear and anger over the reform.

The strikes severely disrupted transport, schools and other public services across France.

French workers would have to work longer before receiving a pension under the new rules with the nominal retirement age rising from 62 to 64. In a country with an aging population and growing life expectancy where everyone receives a state pension, Macron's government says the reform is the only way to keep the system solvent.

Unions argue the pension overhaul threatens hard-fought rights, and propose a tax on the wealthy or more payroll contributions from employers to finance the pension system. Polls suggest most French people also oppose the reform.

More than 200 rallies were staged around France on Thursday, including a large one in Paris involving all of France's major unions.

Jean Paul Cachina, 56, a worker in human resources, joined the march in the French capital a first ever for him.

"I am not here for myself," he said. "I am here to defend the youth and workers doing demanding jobs. I work in the construction industry sector and I'm a first-hand witness of the suffering of employees."

Many young people were among the Paris crowd, chanting: "The youth areprotesting. Macron you are finished." High school student unions had urged members to join the protests.

Nathan Arsac, 19, a student and member of the UNEF union, said: "I'm afraid of what's going to happen next. Losing our social achievements could happen so fast. I'm scared of the future when I'll be older and have to retire."

Sylvie Bechard, a 59-year-old nurse, said she joined the march because "we, health-care workers, are physically exhausted."

"The only thing we have is demonstrating and to block the economy of the country."

The economic cost of the strikes was not immediately clear. The government worriedthat a big show of resistance on Thursday could encourage unions to continue with protracted walkouts that could hobble the economy just as France is struggling against inflation and trying to boost growth.

Police unions opposed to the retirement reform also took part in the protests.

Flights, trains cancelled

A majority of trains around France were cancelled, including some international connections, according to the SNCF rail authority. About 20 per centof flights out of Paris's Orly Airport were cancelled.

Electricity workers pledged to reduce power supplies as a form of protest.

The Ministry of National Education said some 34 to 42 per centof teachers were on strike, depending on schools. High school student unions were expected to join the protests.

Thierry Desassis, a retired teacher, called the government's plan "an aberration."

"It's at 64 that you start having health problems. I'm 68 and in good health but I've started seeing doctors more often," he said.

Tourist attractions affected

The strike was also affecting some monuments. The Versailles Palace was closed on Thursday while the Eiffel Tower warned about potential disruptions and the Louvre Museum said some exhibition rooms will remain closed.

Many French workers expressed mixed feelings about the government's plan and pointed to the complexity of the pension system.

Selim Draia, 48, an animation artist, said some changes may be needed "but rushing through it like this I think the country is divided and polarized enough to take the time to have a conversation."

Quentin Coelho, 27, a Red Cross employee, felt he had to work Thursday despite understanding "most of the strikers' demands." With an aging population in the country, he said, raising the retirement age "isn't an efficient strategy. If we do it now, the government could decided to raise it further in 30 or 50 years from now. We can't predict."

Coelho said he doesn't trust the government and is already saving money for his pension.

Liliane Ferreira Marques, a 40-year-old Brazilian saleswoman from Boussy-Saint-Antoine, south of Paris, said she supports the strikers' demands but can't afford to go on strike because she is "paid barely the minimum wage."

French Labour Minister Olivier Dussopt acknowledged "concerns" prompted by the pension plans that will require from workers "an additional effort." He called on strikers not to block the economy of the country.

"The right to strike is a freedom, but we do not want any blockades," he said, speaking on LCI television.

Dussopt justified the choice to push back the retirement age because the government rejected other options involving raising taxes which he said would hurt the economy and cost jobs or reducing pension amounts.

Bill coming Monday

The French government is formally presenting the pension bill on Monday and it heads to parliament next month. Its success will depend in part on the scale and duration of the strikes and protests.

Most opposition parties, including the left and the far-right, are strongly against the plan. Macron's centrist alliance lost its parliamentary majority last year in the National Assembly, where it still has a good chance of being able to ally with the The Republicans, the conservative party, to approve the pension reforms.

The planned changes provide that workers must have worked for at least 43 years to be entitled to full pension. For those who do not fulfil that condition, like many women who interrupted their career to raise their children or those who studied for a long time and started working late, the retirement age would remain unchanged at 67.

Those who started to work early, under the age of 20, and workers with major health issues would be allowed early retirement.

Protracted strikes met Macron's last effort to raise the retirement age in 2019. He eventually withdrew it after the COVID-19 pandemic hit.