Low turnout for latest pension reform strike in France

Low turnout for latest pension reform strike in FranceJune 7, 2023

Paris, June 7 (IANS) Only 281,000 people turned out for the 14th general mobilisation against the French government’s controversial pension reform, the country’s Interior Ministry said, adding that this was the lowest turnout since January

However, according to the General Confederation of Labor (CGT), France’s largest union, the number of protesters on Tuesday exceeded 900,000 nationwide, reports Xinhua news agency.

All the protests were relatively peaceful, although 28 people were arrested in Paris.

The general mobilisation is no longer widely supported by certain sectors.

The national railway company SNCF, and the RATP public transport system in Paris both maintained almost full service on Tuesday.

The only major disruption was in aviation, with the civil aviation authorities asking Paris Orly airport to cancel 30 per cent of Tuesday’s flights, and 20 per cent for some other major airports in France.

On April 14, France’s Constitutional Council ruled that the legal retirement age would be gradually raised from 62 to 64 by 2030.

Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne first presented details of the pension reform plan in January.

The reform also introduces a guaranteed minimum pension, and from 2027 onwards at least 43 years of work will be required to be eligible for a full pension.

–IANS

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