In addition to raising the retirement age, the plans also require addressing the complicated pension system. For example, people need to have worked longer before they can claim a full pension before they turn 67. According to the government, the reforms are needed because people have to work longer hours now that they are generally getting older than they used to. Working people pay the pensions of more and more retirees.
Mayor
Unions have already organized actions in this regard, the largest of which was the national strike day on 19 January. Then between 1 and 1.5 million people demonstrated against the reform plans. Unions are calling for even more strikers and protesters on Tuesday. The largest protest march returned to the capital Paris and started at around 2pm on the Place d’Italie. The march crosses the center from south to north. Also present was Mayor Anne Hidalgo. Riots were reported in some places, such as Nantes and Rennes, with police using tear gas.
Demonstrations will be held across the country starting at 10:00. For example, according to the unions, more than 200,000 people went to demonstrate in Marseille, according to the police 40,000. The trade unions also see many strikers, for example more than half of the railway workers and half of the teachers go on strike. But the education ministry says 26 percent are on strike in education. There is a massive strike at the oil refineries just like January 19th. At the state-owned electricity company EDF, 40% of the employees went on strike.
Parliament divided
The government presented the plans to parliament on Monday and stressed that raising the retirement age could not be discussed. The government of President Macron and Prime Minister Borne no longer has a majority in France’s lower house, the National Assembly. The main opposition party, the Republicans, appear to be in favor of the plans. The left-wing Nupes coalition vehemently rejects them, as does the Rassemblement National, among others, and has tabled numerous amendments.
French governments have struggled for decades with pension reform and protests against their plans to change the expensive and complicated system built by the profession. Macron let a reform plan disappear in a drawer, mainly due to the fierce protests of 2020.