In pics | Over a million protesters gathered to strike over Macron's pension reform, unions call for more
'Macron's pension, it is a no'
Almost 1.1 million people took part in strikes, the Interior Ministry confirmed the data.
The protests were conducted after President Macron first tried to pass the reform in 2019.
The government earlier tried to explain the idea behind the reform. it said that by pushing back the retirement age and extending the pay-in period, this initiative would bring an additional 17.7 billion euros ($19.1 billion) in annual pension contributions.
In the pic above, the protester holds a sign reading, "Macron's pension, it is a no."
'Increase salaries and pensions not retirement age'
Protesters have been arguing that increasing the retirement age, will benefit the wealthy only.
They have said that there are other ways to finance pensions such as taxing the super-rich section or increasing employers' contributions to those of well-off pensions.
Laurent Berger, leader of the CFDT, France's biggest labour union said, "This problem can be solved in a different way, through taxation. Workers should not have to pay for the public sector deficit."
Many carried the sign reading, "It's salaries and pensions that must be increased, not the retirement age."
Financial crisis
The challenge for unions is to transform opposition to the reform and their anger over the cost-of-living crisis, which later converted into huge social protests.
The strikes included train drivers, teachers and refinery workers who walked out on their jobs.
'Let's continue to debate and convince'
These ongoing protests, it has brought Macron under the radar.
This pension reform still needs to go through parliament, where the president has almost left his majority but is still hoping to get the bill passed.
Over this, Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne on Twitter said, "Let;s continue to debate and convince."
Protesters clash with police
With these ongoing protests, others faced problems.
Virgine Pinto, a real estate worker said, "It's always the same (people) who are on stirke... and we have to endure it," as she struggled to find a metro to go to work.
At the protest site, police used tear gas to disperse the protesters.
Strikes to continue
Many protesters have been thinking of recreating the site of 1995 when Jacques Chirac's government requisitioned the tourist base on the river Seine to ferry customers to work and backed off a pension overhaul after weeks of transport strikes.
Unions have called for a second day of strikes on January 31st.
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