Mass protests are continuing in France against the government’s planned reform of the pension system. Despite the protests, President Macron and the government of Prime Minister Philippe are determined to make what they see as necessary changes to create a unified pensions system from the 42 current systems with different retirement ages.
The “yellow vests” movement in France has returned with full force in the protest against pension reform. Demonstrations by many thousand participants in Paris and other cities have been continuing since Saturday, and on Sunday there were brutal clashes with police. However, the French Prime Minister, Edouard Philippe, announced in an interview for the “Le Journal du Dimanche” weekly, that the announced reform will be carried out to the end.
“I am determined to carry out this pension reform to the end.If we do not carry out a thorough, serious and progressive reform now, then someone else will do it in the future, but much more brutally”- says Edouard Philippe, Prime Minister of France.
Railway and urban transport workers are on strike against the announced reform. Teachers, students, police, garbage collectors and lawyers have joined the strike. The chaos in public transport is widespread in France.
Passengers are being affected by difficulties with public transport throughout France. Most trams, buses and trains do not run. At 7 AM in the capital region you could see traffic jams up to 300 kilometres long. The people of Paris are divided on the legitimacy of the strike.
”I am not totally opposed to the strike, but I do have some difficulty understanding the claims of the strikers and I believe that this movement is disproportionate to its outcomes, which have the potential to greatly influence those surrounding the capital region” – says resident of Paris.
”I fully support the strikers, even if it means making changes. I am with them and I agree with their strike”- says French citizen.
French Prime Minister Paul Eluard is to present details of the pension reform. However, the head of the General Confederation of Labour (or CGT) Philippe Martinez warned that the strike would last until the government completely withdraws from the planned changes.