As she accepted the Palme d'Or in Cannes on Saturday, French director Justine Triet slammed the government of President Emmanuel Macron over its "shocking" suppression of pension protests.

"The country suffered from historic protests over the reform of the pension system. These protests were denied... repressed in a shocking way," she said in her speech, as she won the top prize at the Cannes Film Festival for courtroom drama "Anatomy of a Fall".&nbsp;

Macron has sparked the biggest demonstrations in a generation over reforms to the pension system, which were rammed through parliament without a vote using a special constitutional measure.

The reforms include raising the retirement age from 62 to 64.

Addressing the audience of Hollywood and international film stars, directors, and other industry professionals, Triet also criticised the government's cultural policies.

"The commercialisation of culture that this neoliberal government supports is in the process of breaking France's cultural exception, without which I wouldn't be here today," she said.

Culture Minister Rima Abdul Malak hit back that she was "gobsmacked" by Triet's "unfair" comments at one of France's most prominent events.

"This film would not have seen the light of day without our French model of financing cinema, which allows a diversity that is unique in the world. Let's not forget it," she wrote on Twitter. 
 
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As she accepted the Palme d'Or in Cannes on Saturday, French director Justine Triet slammed the government of President Emmanuel Macron over its "shocking" suppression of pension protests.

As she accepted the Palme d'Or in Cannes on Saturday, French director Justine Triet slammed the government of President Emmanuel Macron over its "shocking" suppression of pension protests. "The country suffered from historic protests over the reform of the pension system. These protests were denied... repressed in a shocking way," she said in her speech, as she won the top prize at the Cannes Film Festival for courtroom drama "Anatomy of a Fall". Macron has sparked the biggest demonstrations in a generation over reforms to the pension system, which were rammed through parliament without a vote using a special constitutional measure. The reforms include raising the retirement age from 62 to 64. Addressing the audience of Hollywood and international film stars, directors, and other industry professionals, Triet also criticised the government's cultural policies. "The commercialisation of culture that this neoliberal government supports is in the process of breaking France's cultural exception, without which I wouldn't be here today," she said. Culture Minister Rima Abdul Malak hit back that she was "gobsmacked" by Triet's "unfair" comments at one of France's most prominent events. "This film would not have seen the light of day without our French model of financing cinema, which allows a diversity that is unique in the world. Let's not forget it," she wrote on Twitter. WATCH WION LIVE HERE

Palme d'Or winner slams French government in Cannes speech

Last-ditch talks between French unions and Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne over pension reforms have failed, the unions informed on Wednesday. Following the latest disappointment, the French unions called for record turnout at protest rallies the next day. The meeting was the first between the unions and the government ever since the contentious pensions bill was introduced by the government in January.

The talks lasted barely an hour and all union leaders echoed that the meeting had been a failure. Soon after the talks failed, CGT activists hung a banner reading "64, it's no" from the top of the capital's Arc de Triomphe monument.

The pension reforms have proven to be President Emmanuel Macron's biggest challenge during his second term. The pension overhaul will increase the minimum retirement age from 62 to 64 for all French citizens. The government says the change is necessary to balance the pension budget in years to come. The unions say the money can be found elsewhere.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/watch-macron-takes-off-luxury-watch-on-television-while-taking-about-pension-reforms-irks-protesters-575536">Macron takes off luxury watch on television while talking about pension reforms, irks protesters</a>

People have been angry over the pension reforms ever since Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne on March 16 invoked a controversial executive order to move the bill through parliament without a vote, ignoring months of mass protests against it.

Ahead of Wednesday's talks with Borne, unions had warned that they would storm out if the government doesn't agree to pull the plug on increasing the retirement age.

"It's clearly a failure when the prime minister won't even allow a way into that discussion," said Cyril Chabanier, speaking on behalf of the country's eight main unions.

"We again told the prime minister that the only democratic outcome could be the text's withdrawal. The prime minister replied that she wished to maintain the text," he added.

Borne, meanwhile, said that she is open to talks but will not back down on the retirement age.

(With inputs from agencies)

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Last-ditch talks between French unions and Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne over pension reforms have failed, the unions informed on Wednesday. Following the latest disappointment, the French unions called for record turnout at protest rallies the next day.

Last-ditch talks between French unions and Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne over pension reforms have failed, the unions informed on Wednesday. Following the latest disappointment, the French unions called for record turnout at protest rallies the next day. The meeting was the first between the unions and the government ever since the contentious pensions bill was introduced by the government in January. The talks lasted barely an hour and all union leaders echoed that the meeting had been a failure. Soon after the talks failed, CGT activists hung a banner reading "64, it's no" from the top of the capital's Arc de Triomphe monument. The pension reforms have proven to be President Emmanuel Macron's biggest challenge during his second term. The pension overhaul will increase the minimum retirement age from 62 to 64 for all French citizens. The government says the change is necessary to balance the pension budget in years to come. The unions say the money can be found elsewhere. Also Read | Macron takes off luxury watch on television while talking about pension reforms, irks protesters People have been angry over the pension reforms ever since Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne on March 16 invoked a controversial executive order to move the bill through parliament without a vote, ignoring months of mass protests against it. Ahead of Wednesday's talks with Borne, unions had warned that they would storm out if the government doesn't agree to pull the plug on increasing the retirement age. "It's clearly a failure when the prime minister won't even allow a way into that discussion," said Cyril Chabanier, speaking on behalf of the country's eight main unions. "We again told the prime minister that the only democratic outcome could be the text's withdrawal. The prime minister replied that she wished to maintain the text," he added. Borne, meanwhile, said that she is open to talks but will not back down on the retirement age. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Talks between French unions and prime minister fail ahead of fresh protests on Thursday

Britain's King Charles III's state visit to France has been postponed due to a sea of protests in the country against the massively unpopular pension reform legislation to increase the retirement age.

Britain's King Charles III's state visit to France has been postponed due to a sea of protests in the country against the massively unpopular pension reform legislation to increase the retirement age. The king was scheduled to arrive in France on Sunday, which incidentally would have been his first visit as the newly crowned monarch. However, the Élysée Palace released a statement on Friday and said the decision to postpone the visit was taken after King Charles had a telephone conversation with French President Emmanuel Macron. "Given yesterday's announcement of a new national day of action against pension reform on Tuesday, March 28, in France, the visit of King Charles III, initially scheduled for March 26 to 29 in our country, will be postponed," read the statement. "This decision was taken by the French and British governments, after a telephone exchange between the President of the Republic and the King this morning, in order to be able to welcome His Majesty King Charles III under conditions which correspond to our relationship of friendship," it added. ALSO READ | Rubbish piles up in Paris, protests over pension reforms continue across France Buckingham Palace also released a statement stating that the king looked forward to the opportunity to visit France as soon as dates could be found. More than a million people took to the streets in different cities of France on Thursday in a continued protest against the Macron government's retirement policy. Up until Thursday, the French authorities were optimistic that the state visit will go ahead without any hiccups. However, after Macron gave a TV interview, it seemingly galvanised the protesters. Subsequently, the entrance to the town hall in Bordeaux was set alight, forcing the administration to chalk up new plans. As per Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin, 149 police officers and dozens of protesters were injured in clashes on Thursday. In addition, 172 people were arrested across the country, 72 of them in Paris. WATCH | France pension protests: Bordeaux town hall set on fire, scores of protesters arrested | Details × The government is of the view that extending the pension age will prevent the French service system from collapsing under the weight of deficits. Notably, the workers in France tend to retire much earlier than their European Union (EU) counterparts. The direct repercussion is that the French exchequer has to foot a bigger pension bill than most countries in the bloc. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

King Charles III’s state visit to France postponed as pension protests turn violent

French President Emmanuel Macron's government on Monday narrowly survived two no-confidence motions in the parliament. The nation's 577 National Assembly rejected the motion brought by the centrist LIOT coalition by a very narrow margin. 278 MPs voted in favour of the tripartisan bill&nbsp;— nine less than the 287 needed for the motion to succeed.

A second no-confidence motion, tabled by the far-right National Rally (RN), also failed, gathering only 94 votes.

Watch |&nbsp;France: Protests continue over pension reforms, garbage collectors extend strike

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The result comes as a relief for Prime Minister Élisabeth Borne and President Macron. A successful no-confidence vote would have sunk the government and would have killed the deeply unpopular legislation which seeks to raise the retirement age by two years to 64.

However, the relief could prove to be short-lived. As per Reuters, unions and protestors have vowed to carry on strikes and protests which in recent days have rocked the European nation.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/resign-france-protests-escalate-as-govt-pushes-through-pension-change-without-vote-572931">'Resign': France protests escalate as govt&nbsp;pushes through pension change without vote</a>

Lawmakers from the hard left La France Insoumise (LFI, France Unbowed) were heard shouting "Resign!" at Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne. They also brandished placards that read: "We'll meet in the streets," reports Reuters.

The pension reform has severely affected President Emmanuel Macron's personal ratings, bringing them to their lowest levels since the height of the 2019 protests. A survey on Sunday showed that Macron's approval ratings have tanked to a low, with only 28 per cent of the respondents viewing him in a positive light.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/french-union-members-police-clash-over-emmanuel-macrons-controversial-pension-reform-plan-573214">French union members, police clash over Emmanuel Macron’s controversial pension reforms</a>

A new round of protests, as per AFP, has been called across France on Thursday. These protests are expected to affect France's public transport severely, once again bringing it to a standstill. Government insiders and observers have raised fears that France may once again be heading towards a bout of anti-government protests like the "Yellow Vest" ones that hit the nation from 2018 to 2019.

(With inputs from agencies)

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French President Emmanuel Macron's government on Monday narrowly survived two no-confidence motions in the parliament. The nation's 577 National Assembly rejected the motion brought by the centrist LIOT coalition by a very narrow margin.

French President Emmanuel Macron's government on Monday narrowly survived two no-confidence motions in the parliament. The nation's 577 National Assembly rejected the motion brought by the centrist LIOT coalition by a very narrow margin. 278 MPs voted in favour of the tripartisan bill — nine less than the 287 needed for the motion to succeed. A second no-confidence motion, tabled by the far-right National Rally (RN), also failed, gathering only 94 votes. Watch | France: Protests continue over pension reforms, garbage collectors extend strike The result comes as a relief for Prime Minister Élisabeth Borne and President Macron. A successful no-confidence vote would have sunk the government and would have killed the deeply unpopular legislation which seeks to raise the retirement age by two years to 64. However, the relief could prove to be short-lived. As per Reuters, unions and protestors have vowed to carry on strikes and protests which in recent days have rocked the European nation. Also read | 'Resign': France protests escalate as govt pushes through pension change without vote Lawmakers from the hard left La France Insoumise (LFI, France Unbowed) were heard shouting "Resign!" at Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne. They also brandished placards that read: "We'll meet in the streets," reports Reuters. The pension reform has severely affected President Emmanuel Macron's personal ratings, bringing them to their lowest levels since the height of the 2019 protests. A survey on Sunday showed that Macron's approval ratings have tanked to a low, with only 28 per cent of the respondents viewing him in a positive light. Also read | French union members, police clash over Emmanuel Macron’s controversial pension reforms A new round of protests, as per AFP, has been called across France on Thursday. These protests are expected to affect France's public transport severely, once again bringing it to a standstill. Government insiders and observers have raised fears that France may once again be heading towards a bout of anti-government protests like the "Yellow Vest" ones that hit the nation from 2018 to 2019. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

'We'll meet in the streets': Macron's government narrowly survives no-confidence vote over pension reform

The unrest over French President Emmanuel Macron’s controversial pension reforms turned violent as protesters and the police clashed with each other in central Paris.

"Macron, Resign!" calls reverberated on the streets on Friday — the second night of the agitation — as thousands of protesters took on the police at Paris' Place de la Concorde, near the Assemblee Nationale parliament building.

Images from Reuters TV showed cops using tear gas on the disorderly crowd who, in response, lit fires and some threw firecrackers at police.

Protests also took place on Friday in other French cities — notably Bordeaux, Toulon and Strasbourg. At least dozens of people were arrested during the unrest at Place de la Concorde.

"We won't give up," one demonstrator told AFP news agency. "There's still hope that the reform can be revoked."

Another protester told Reuters that pushing the legislation through without a vote was "a denial of democracy... a total denial of what has been happening in the streets for several weeks".

<h1>Gravitas: France passes new pension reforms</h1>

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For the past two days, France has been seething with unrest ever since Macron decided to push through the controversial reforms to raise the retirement age from 62 to 64 without a parliamentary vote.

No-confidence motions have been filed against his government in response that will be debated early next week.

Leader of the National Rally MPs in parliament, Marine Le Pen, slammed Macron for hurrying through pension changes and called it "a total failure for the government".

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russian-defence-minister-awards-pilots-involved-in-downing-of-us-drone-over-black-sea-573006">Russian defence minister honours pilots involved in downing of US drone</a>

The government believes that pension reforms are essential to ensure the system doesn’t go bust and prevent it from collapsing. However, union members disagree.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/facebook-parent-meta-launches-its-subscription-service-in-usa-check-out-the-cost-573153">Facebook parent Meta launches its subscription service in USA, check out cost</a>

The contrasting opinions on the pension reforms created a stand-off between the union members and the government and resulted in heated political debate and strikes for more than two months.

A broad alliance of France's main unions said they would continue their mobilisation to try and force a U-turn on the changes. Protests are planned for this weekend, with a new day of nationwide industrial action scheduled for Thursday.

(With inputs from agencies) 
 
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The unrest over French President Emmanuel Macron’s controversial pension reforms turned violent as protesters and the police clashed with each other in central Paris.

The unrest over French President Emmanuel Macron’s controversial pension reforms turned violent as protesters and the police clashed with each other in central Paris. "Macron, Resign!" calls reverberated on the streets on Friday — the second night of the agitation — as thousands of protesters took on the police at Paris' Place de la Concorde, near the Assemblee Nationale parliament building. Images from Reuters TV showed cops using tear gas on the disorderly crowd who, in response, lit fires and some threw firecrackers at police. Protests also took place on Friday in other French cities — notably Bordeaux, Toulon and Strasbourg. At least dozens of people were arrested during the unrest at Place de la Concorde. "We won't give up," one demonstrator told AFP news agency. "There's still hope that the reform can be revoked." Another protester told Reuters that pushing the legislation through without a vote was "a denial of democracy... a total denial of what has been happening in the streets for several weeks". Gravitas: France passes new pension reforms For the past two days, France has been seething with unrest ever since Macron decided to push through the controversial reforms to raise the retirement age from 62 to 64 without a parliamentary vote. No-confidence motions have been filed against his government in response that will be debated early next week. Leader of the National Rally MPs in parliament, Marine Le Pen, slammed Macron for hurrying through pension changes and called it "a total failure for the government". Also read | Russian defence minister honours pilots involved in downing of US drone The government believes that pension reforms are essential to ensure the system doesn’t go bust and prevent it from collapsing. However, union members disagree. Also read | Facebook parent Meta launches its subscription service in USA, check out cost The contrasting opinions on the pension reforms created a stand-off between the union members and the government and resulted in heated political debate and strikes for more than two months. A broad alliance of France's main unions said they would continue their mobilisation to try and force a U-turn on the changes. Protests are planned for this weekend, with a new day of nationwide industrial action scheduled for Thursday. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE

French union members, police clash over Emmanuel Macron’s controversial pension reforms

The French Senate late Saturday (March 11) approved President Emmanuel Macron's pension reform plan despite massive protests opposing the policy. In the upper house of Parliament, 195 members voted for the text while 112 voted against it.

The French Senate late Saturday (March 11) approved President Emmanuel Macron's pension reform plan despite massive protests opposing the policy. In the upper house of Parliament, 195 members voted for the text while 112 voted against it. Taking to Twitter, French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne said, "After hundreds of hours of discussions, the Senate adopted the pension reform plan. It is a key step to make reform happen that will guarantee the future of our pension system." Borne said that she was committed to ensuring the text would be definitively adopted in the coming days. With the Senate adopting the bill, it will be reviewed by a joint committee of lower and upper house lawmakers, probably on Wednesday, according to a report by the news agency Reuters. If the committee agrees on the text, a final vote in both chambers is likely to take place the next day. However, the outcome of the vote seems uncertain in the lower chamber where President Macron's party needs allies' votes for a majority. If the government fears it would not have enough votes in the lower house, it is still possible for it to push the text through without a parliamentary vote, via a so-called 49:3 procedure. Protests intensify On Saturday, around 368,000 protesters marched in various cities of France to oppose the pension reform. As with the previous demonstrations, Saturday's protest did not see any major scuffles with the police. According to government figures, 1.28 million took to the streets on Tuesday (March 7), the highest turnout since the beginning of the protests. More nationwide strikes and protests have been planned for Wednesday (March 15). The pension reform plan's headline measure is the hike in the minimum age retirement to 64 from 62, seen by many as unfair to people who started working young. The reform would also increase the number of years people have to make contributions to receive a full pension. Speaking to the news agency AFP on Saturday, retired train driver Claude Jeanvoine said that he was protesting for "my colleagues and for our young people." "People shouldn't let the government get away with this, this is about the future of their children and grandchildren," Jeanvoine, 63, demonstrating in Strasbourg said. The protesters also pointed out that women, especially mothers, were at a disadvantage under the new reform. "If I'd known this was coming, I wouldn't have stopped working to look after my kids when they were small," said Sophie Merle, a 50-year-old childcare provider in the southern city of Marseille. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

France: Senate approves Macron’s pension reform plan despite massive protests

The boss of a hardline French trade union on Friday vowed to press on with a strike that has crippled transport in Paris for the past three weeks and is now the longest-lasting such action since the 1980s.

The strike against pension reforms championed by <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/colonialism-was-a-grave-mistake-french-pm-emmanuel-macron-269555">President Emmanuel Macron</a> began on December 5 and has cast a long shadow over celebrations in France for Christmas and the New Year.

Now on day 23, the union stoppage is longer than the notorious 22-day strike of the winter of 1995 under late president Jacques Chirac against welfare cutbacks which forced the then government into a U-turn.

The longest <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/france-protests-against-pension-reform-continue-scuffle-breaks-out-at-gare-de-lyon-station-269785">transport strike</a> in France lasted for 28 days, also over Christmas, in 1986 and early 1987.

"It's a strong movement and still supported by public opinion," said Philippe Martinez, secretary-general of the CGT union as he visited picketing workers at a bus depot.

He lashed out at Prime Minister Edouard Philippe, who has said he wants no confrontation with the strikers, accusing him of not being true to his word.

"The government shows how agitated it is with this kind of conception of social dialogue," said Martinez.&nbsp;

No end in sight&nbsp;

The strike was still paralysing transport in Paris on Friday, the day the French capital should be crammed with shoppers seeking <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/strike-makes-for-not-so-merry-christmas-travel-in-france-269597">post-Christmas bargains</a> or preparing for the New Year.

There appears to be no end in sight to the current movement with talks between the government and unions only set to resume on January 7.

Just two driverless metro lines were working normally Friday and five lines were completely shut down. National rail operator SNCF said six out of every 10 high-speed TGV trains were running.

Union activists also blocked four depots of Paris buses -&nbsp;which have largely kept running in the strikes with a much-reduced service -&nbsp;early Friday before being dispersed peacefully by Paris police, the local authorities said.

The unions are demanding that the government drops a plan to merge 42 existing pension schemes into a single, points-based system.

The overhaul would see workers in certain sectors -&nbsp;including the railways - lose early retirement benefits.&nbsp;

The government says the pension overhaul is needed to create a fairer system.

But workers object to the inclusion of a so-called pivot age of 64 until which people would have to work to earn a full pension - two years beyond the official retirement age.

The boss of a hardline French trade union on Friday vowed to press on with a strike that has crippled transport in Paris for the past three weeks and is now the longest-lasting such action since the 1980s.

The boss of a hardline French trade union on Friday vowed to press on with a strike that has crippled transport in Paris for the past three weeks and is now the longest-lasting such action since the 1980s. The strike against pension reforms championed by President Emmanuel Macron began on December 5 and has cast a long shadow over celebrations in France for Christmas and the New Year. Now on day 23, the union stoppage is longer than the notorious 22-day strike of the winter of 1995 under late president Jacques Chirac against welfare cutbacks which forced the then government into a U-turn. The longest transport strike in France lasted for 28 days, also over Christmas, in 1986 and early 1987. "It's a strong movement and still supported by public opinion," said Philippe Martinez, secretary-general of the CGT union as he visited picketing workers at a bus depot. He lashed out at Prime Minister Edouard Philippe, who has said he wants no confrontation with the strikers, accusing him of not being true to his word. "The government shows how agitated it is with this kind of conception of social dialogue," said Martinez. No end in sight The strike was still paralysing transport in Paris on Friday, the day the French capital should be crammed with shoppers seeking post-Christmas bargains or preparing for the New Year. There appears to be no end in sight to the current movement with talks between the government and unions only set to resume on January 7. Just two driverless metro lines were working normally Friday and five lines were completely shut down. National rail operator SNCF said six out of every 10 high-speed TGV trains were running. Union activists also blocked four depots of Paris buses - which have largely kept running in the strikes with a much-reduced service - early Friday before being dispersed peacefully by Paris police, the local authorities said. The unions are demanding that the government drops a plan to merge 42 existing pension schemes into a single, points-based system. The overhaul would see workers in certain sectors - including the railways - lose early retirement benefits. The government says the pension overhaul is needed to create a fairer system. But workers object to the inclusion of a so-called pivot age of 64 until which people would have to work to earn a full pension - two years beyond the official retirement age.

Union boss defiant on France's longest strike in decades

The French government stood firm on the pension reforms as a fresh round of <a href="People march in Marseille during protests over a government pensions overhaul.">demonstrations to take place across the country</a> on Tuesday.

"This reform... is going to be defended," news agency AFP quoted a government spokeswoman Sibeth Ndiaye as saying on late Monday.

Tens of<a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/frances-sanofi-to-buy-biotech-firm-synthorx-for-25-billion-267197"> thousands of protestors</a> are expected to hit the street today to protest against latest pension reforms in which the retirement age was changed to 64. Currently, the retirement age is set at 62.

Meanwhile, French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe is scheduled to hold fresh talks with <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/french-cgt-union-threatens-more-protests-over-pensions-plan-268467">French trade union leader</a>s on Wednesday, but a solution to the impasse appears out of reach for now.

Since December, 5 French trade unions have been France has been holding crippling strikes against plans for a single pensions system, which would do away with 42 separate schemes that offer early retirement and other benefits mainly to public-sector workers.

Commuters in Paris are the most affected by these strikes as transport services are the have been the most affected. Millions of commuters are facing daily misery due to the strikes and with holidays coming, travel plans are also at risks.

According to a local report, just one in four high-speed TGV trains is running on Tuesday.

Over 800,000 people turned out across France for the first mass demos on December 5, though the number had fallen to 340,000 according to the interior ministry on December 10.

Police are on high alert after some protesters vandalised storefronts and set fire to vehicles during the previous marches.

Half the metro lines in Paris were closed, though traffic jams were close to average as many people worked from home or just took the day off.

(With inputs from agencies)

The French government stood firm on the pension reforms as a fresh round of demonstrations to take place across the country on Tuesday. "This reform... is going to be defended," news agency AFP quoted a government spokeswoman Sibeth Ndiaye as saying on late Monday.

The French government stood firm on the pension reforms as a fresh round of demonstrations to take place across the country on Tuesday. "This reform... is going to be defended," news agency AFP quoted a government spokeswoman Sibeth Ndiaye as saying on late Monday. Tens of thousands of protestors are expected to hit the street today to protest against latest pension reforms in which the retirement age was changed to 64. Currently, the retirement age is set at 62. Meanwhile, French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe is scheduled to hold fresh talks with French trade union leaders on Wednesday, but a solution to the impasse appears out of reach for now. Since December, 5 French trade unions have been France has been holding crippling strikes against plans for a single pensions system, which would do away with 42 separate schemes that offer early retirement and other benefits mainly to public-sector workers. Commuters in Paris are the most affected by these strikes as transport services are the have been the most affected. Millions of commuters are facing daily misery due to the strikes and with holidays coming, travel plans are also at risks. According to a local report, just one in four high-speed TGV trains is running on Tuesday. Over 800,000 people turned out across France for the first mass demos on December 5, though the number had fallen to 340,000 according to the interior ministry on December 10. Police are on high alert after some protesters vandalised storefronts and set fire to vehicles during the previous marches. Half the metro lines in Paris were closed, though traffic jams were close to average as many people worked from home or just took the day off. (With inputs from agencies)

France strikes: Government stays firm on pension reforms as mass protests continue