Calay News
France’s central unions have organized a new day of strikes and protests, the sixth to date, against the pension reform project and the delay in the retirement age promoted by Emmanuel Macron.
This strike, which began on Tuesday, is indefinite and could be extended if so decided by the workers’ assemblies. The unions have called for demonstrations across the country, with the aim of gathering two million people. The police estimate that there will be between 1.1 and 1.4 million participants. The strike began last Friday with a reduction in electricity production, and some truck drivers have been blocking roads since Monday.
The SNCF has had to cancel 80% of high-speed trains and practically all conventional long-distance trains. The strike is also affecting air transport, with 20% of flights at Charles de Gaulle and 30% at the other Paris airport, as well as at other airports in the country. The unions also want to focus their efforts on the energy sector, and TotalEnergies has reported that fuel production at its refineries is paralyzed.
The pension reform pushed by Macron proposes to delay retirement from 62 to 64 from 2030 and to bring forward to 2027 the extension of the contribution period to receive the maximum pension. According to recent polls, public opinion is overwhelmingly against the reform, and 56% support the unions in their plans to continue strikes.
