Ahead of New Year, France continues to be on the boil over the proposed pension reforms. Violent clashes have been reported between the police and the protesters in many tourist hotspots in Paris.

The police have also used tear gas and baton-charged the crowd on some occasions.

The workers' unions have joined hands with the Yellow Vest protesters and have crippled the transport network in Paris.&nbsp;

The next round of talks between the government and the union leaders is scheduled for January 7th and the fear is that the transport impasse will continue well into the New Year.

The French government has been adamant on pushing ahead with the reform.

Prime Minister Edouard Philippe has said that 42 separate state-funded pension plans will be combined into a single points-based system.

The police crackdown has become a matter of worry among the protesters. One prominent Yellow Vest protester -- Jerome Rodriguez ended up taking refuge in a cafe to escape the police.

Rodriguez has faced police brutality more than once...He lost one of his eyes during a demonstration earlier this year.

Ahead of New Year, France continues to be on the boil over the proposed pension reforms. Violent clashes have been reported between the police and the protesters in many tourist hotspots in Paris.

Ahead of New Year, France continues to be on the boil over the proposed pension reforms. Violent clashes have been reported between the police and the protesters in many tourist hotspots in Paris. The police have also used tear gas and baton-charged the crowd on some occasions. The workers' unions have joined hands with the Yellow Vest protesters and have crippled the transport network in Paris. The next round of talks between the government and the union leaders is scheduled for January 7th and the fear is that the transport impasse will continue well into the New Year. The French government has been adamant on pushing ahead with the reform. Prime Minister Edouard Philippe has said that 42 separate state-funded pension plans will be combined into a single points-based system. The police crackdown has become a matter of worry among the protesters. One prominent Yellow Vest protester -- Jerome Rodriguez ended up taking refuge in a cafe to escape the police. Rodriguez has faced police brutality more than once...He lost one of his eyes during a demonstration earlier this year.

France continues to be on the boil over proposed pension reforms

2019: The year of global outrage

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/colonialism-was-a-grave-mistake-french-pm-emmanuel-macron-269555">French President Emmanuel Macron</a>, whose plans to reform the pension system have run into fierce public opposition, will forego a special presidential pension payout when he eventually steps down, his office said on Sunday.

Under a law dating back to 1955, France's presidents are entitled to draw a pension of about 6,000 euros ($6,650) per month before tax as soon as they leave office.

Macron will waive these pension rights and change the presidential scheme to bring it into line with the wider overhaul of France's retirement system, his office said, confirming an earlier report by French daily Le Parisien.

The 42-year-old president will be years away from France's legal retirement age of 62 when he leaves office even he serves two full five-year terms.

"The President of the Republic will converge ... with the universal points system planned for all French people," Macron's office said.

"It is a question of being exemplary and coherent."

Two weeks of nationwide industrial action against Macron's pension reform, which would scrap special regimes for sectors like the railways and make people work to 64 to draw a full pension, have crippled train services.

Speaking on Saturday during a visit to Ivory Coast, Macron called on transport unions to suspend <a href="http://wionew.com/world/hundreds-of-thousands-protest-in-france-over-pension-reform-plans-268811">strikes</a> during the Christmas holidays to avoid disrupting travel for families.

But despite calls by some unions to suspend strikes during the festive season, several rail workers' groups are continuing stoppages as travellers head off on holiday.

National rail operator SNCF continued to run reduced services on Sunday, including half the usual number of its high-speed TGV trains.

But faced with an outcry over the cancellation of holiday services for children travelling without their parents, the SNCF laid on several trains for kids on Sunday.

French President Emmanuel Macron, whose plans to reform the pension system have run into fierce public opposition, will forego a special presidential pension payout when he eventually steps down, his office said on Sunday.

French President Emmanuel Macron, whose plans to reform the pension system have run into fierce public opposition, will forego a special presidential pension payout when he eventually steps down, his office said on Sunday. Under a law dating back to 1955, France's presidents are entitled to draw a pension of about 6,000 euros ($6,650) per month before tax as soon as they leave office. Macron will waive these pension rights and change the presidential scheme to bring it into line with the wider overhaul of France's retirement system, his office said, confirming an earlier report by French daily Le Parisien. The 42-year-old president will be years away from France's legal retirement age of 62 when he leaves office even he serves two full five-year terms. "The President of the Republic will converge ... with the universal points system planned for all French people," Macron's office said. "It is a question of being exemplary and coherent." Two weeks of nationwide industrial action against Macron's pension reform, which would scrap special regimes for sectors like the railways and make people work to 64 to draw a full pension, have crippled train services. Speaking on Saturday during a visit to Ivory Coast, Macron called on transport unions to suspend strikes during the Christmas holidays to avoid disrupting travel for families. But despite calls by some unions to suspend strikes during the festive season, several rail workers' groups are continuing stoppages as travellers head off on holiday. National rail operator SNCF continued to run reduced services on Sunday, including half the usual number of its high-speed TGV trains. But faced with an outcry over the cancellation of holiday services for children travelling without their parents, the SNCF laid on several trains for kids on Sunday.

France's Macron to give up presidential pension in reform gesture

French commuters gritted their teeth on the ninth day of a crippling <a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/france-public-sector-strike-where-is-the-unrest-being-felt-the-hardest-266849">public transport strike</a> Friday, pinning their hopes for an end to the daily misery on the government's offer of fresh negotiations with unions over a contested pensions overhaul.

Many travellers are reconsidering their holiday travel plans as unions stood united in their opposition to the government's plans to fuse the country's 42 pension schemes into a single, points-based system.

"It is very complicated," 23-year-old childcarer Elsa told AFP at Paris' Gare de Lyon station, complaining of the overcrowded trains. Every day since the strike started, she has had to get up early to not miss her train into town, then walk a long way to work.

"If this (the strike) goes on, I will have to keep doing this. It is exhausting, but I have no choice. Not all work can be done from home."

The overhaul unveiled by <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/frances-prime-minister-defies-unions-with-pension-overhaul-267718">Prime Minister Edouard Philippe</a> this week angered even the moderate CFDT union by proposing a reduced payout for people who retire at the legal age of 62 instead of a so-called "pivot age" of 64 -&nbsp;a "red line" for unions.

They called for new mass demonstrations for Tuesday, the third since the action started on December 5 in the biggest show of strength in years by France's notoriously militant unions, which have vowed to continue fighting through the holidays if necessary.

Philippe said Thursday that he would call union leaders to "quickly resume the dialogue" and proposed talks "as soon as possible next week."

"My door is open and my hand outstretched," Philippe said on Twitter.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/frances-emmanuel-macron-to-hold-meeting-on-pensions-as-strike-bites-266909">President Emmanuel Macron</a>, who has spoken little about a centrepiece of his far-ranging reform drive for France, told reporters in Brussels Thursday that "now is the time for consultations."

But Laurent Brun of the hard-line CGT union, the largest among public-sector workers including those at rail operator SNCF, has already warned that "There won't be any Christmas truce" unless the government drops the plan entirely.

The reform will scrap early retirement and other benefits for mainly public-sector workers -&nbsp;particularly those at state rail operator SNCF and the Paris public transport group RATP.

A poll released Thursday by the Elabe institute found France evenly divided on Philippe's plan, with 50 percent for and 49 percent against.

But 54 percent rejected the mooted "pivot age" of 64 for a full pension, it found, and 54 percent supported the protest even as patience wore thin on Paris' overfull public transport lines and in the jam-packed streets where pedestrians, cars, motorcycles, bikes and scooters jostled for space.

In Paris, eight of the 16 metro lines were shut down completely Friday and six were offering interrupted service, according to the RATP.

The city's bus service was again severely disrupted, and the number of trains connecting Paris to its suburbs was slashed, as was the national train service.

Staff at four of France's eight oil refineries were on strike, affecting output and raising fears of shortages down the line.

The strike has affected international travel and the bottom lines of hotels, restaurants and shops, mainly in Paris, where theatre and opera performances have been cancelled, and museums have had to close some exhibits.

On Thursday, several thousand people marched in Paris, Bordeaux, Lyon and other cities, as strikers blocked major ports.

A week earlier, some 800,000 people hit the streets across France to kick off the pension reform mass resistance, followed by some 339,000 on Tuesday.

Unions are hoping for a repeat of 1995, when weeks of rail strikes forced the government of then-president Jacques Chirac to withdraw a pension reform.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/frances-emmanuel-macron-to-hold-meeting-on-pensions-as-strike-bites-266909">Macron's government</a> insists the changes will make for a fairer system and help erase pension system deficits forecast to reach as much as 17 billion euros ($19 billion) by 2025.

The average French person retires at just over 60, years earlier than most in Europe or other rich OECD countries.

French commuters gritted their teeth on the ninth day of a crippling public transport strike Friday, pinning their hopes for an end to the daily misery on the government's offer of fresh negotiations with unions over a contested pensions overhaul.

French commuters gritted their teeth on the ninth day of a crippling public transport strike Friday, pinning their hopes for an end to the daily misery on the government's offer of fresh negotiations with unions over a contested pensions overhaul. Many travellers are reconsidering their holiday travel plans as unions stood united in their opposition to the government's plans to fuse the country's 42 pension schemes into a single, points-based system. "It is very complicated," 23-year-old childcarer Elsa told AFP at Paris' Gare de Lyon station, complaining of the overcrowded trains. Every day since the strike started, she has had to get up early to not miss her train into town, then walk a long way to work. "If this (the strike) goes on, I will have to keep doing this. It is exhausting, but I have no choice. Not all work can be done from home." The overhaul unveiled by Prime Minister Edouard Philippe this week angered even the moderate CFDT union by proposing a reduced payout for people who retire at the legal age of 62 instead of a so-called "pivot age" of 64 - a "red line" for unions. They called for new mass demonstrations for Tuesday, the third since the action started on December 5 in the biggest show of strength in years by France's notoriously militant unions, which have vowed to continue fighting through the holidays if necessary. Philippe said Thursday that he would call union leaders to "quickly resume the dialogue" and proposed talks "as soon as possible next week." "My door is open and my hand outstretched," Philippe said on Twitter. President Emmanuel Macron, who has spoken little about a centrepiece of his far-ranging reform drive for France, told reporters in Brussels Thursday that "now is the time for consultations." But Laurent Brun of the hard-line CGT union, the largest among public-sector workers including those at rail operator SNCF, has already warned that "There won't be any Christmas truce" unless the government drops the plan entirely. The reform will scrap early retirement and other benefits for mainly public-sector workers - particularly those at state rail operator SNCF and the Paris public transport group RATP. A poll released Thursday by the Elabe institute found France evenly divided on Philippe's plan, with 50 percent for and 49 percent against. But 54 percent rejected the mooted "pivot age" of 64 for a full pension, it found, and 54 percent supported the protest even as patience wore thin on Paris' overfull public transport lines and in the jam-packed streets where pedestrians, cars, motorcycles, bikes and scooters jostled for space. In Paris, eight of the 16 metro lines were shut down completely Friday and six were offering interrupted service, according to the RATP. The city's bus service was again severely disrupted, and the number of trains connecting Paris to its suburbs was slashed, as was the national train service. Staff at four of France's eight oil refineries were on strike, affecting output and raising fears of shortages down the line. The strike has affected international travel and the bottom lines of hotels, restaurants and shops, mainly in Paris, where theatre and opera performances have been cancelled, and museums have had to close some exhibits. On Thursday, several thousand people marched in Paris, Bordeaux, Lyon and other cities, as strikers blocked major ports. A week earlier, some 800,000 people hit the streets across France to kick off the pension reform mass resistance, followed by some 339,000 on Tuesday. Unions are hoping for a repeat of 1995, when weeks of rail strikes forced the government of then-president Jacques Chirac to withdraw a pension reform. Macron's government insists the changes will make for a fairer system and help erase pension system deficits forecast to reach as much as 17 billion euros ($19 billion) by 2025. The average French person retires at just over 60, years earlier than most in Europe or other rich OECD countries.

Christmas plans threatened as French strike drags on

Prime Minister <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/determined-to-take-pension-reform-to-completion-will-address-peoples-concerns-french-pm-266964">Edouard Philippe</a> defied striking workers on Wednesday with plans for a long-anticipated overhaul of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/frances-emmanuel-macron-to-hold-meeting-on-pensions-as-strike-bites-266909">France's byzantine pension system</a> that he said would be fairer and encourage people to work longer.

France would replace a convoluted system of more than 42 separate state-funded plans with a universal, points-based system that will apply to those entering the job market for the first time in 2022, Philippe said in a speech that followed days of protests and strikes.

He did though show some flexibility to unions over the timing of the implementation of the plan, saying anyone within 17 years of retirement would be exempt.

"The time has come to build a universal pension system," Philippe said in a much-anticipated speech. "There is no hidden agenda. "We want to protect the purchasing power of the workers and pensioners of today and tomorrow."

The legal retirement age would remain at 62, the prime minister said, but workers would be incentivised to work longer through a system of bonuses and discounts.

There would be a minimum pension of 1,000 euros&nbsp;per month for those who worked a full career.

Reform of France's pension system, which offers some of the most generous benefits in the industrialised world, has proven a treacherous task for past and present governments.

A strike by public sector workers over the past week has crippled France's transport network, closed schools and forced the cancellation of some flights.

The strongest opposition to the planned reform has come from workers with 'special benefit' plans, including rail employees, dockers and Paris Opera singers who are entitled to retire on a full pension years before the average retirement age of 62.

Philippe said a universal, points-based system would be fairer, giving every pensioner the same rights for each euro contributed, and enable workers to move more freely from one job to another in the modern-day labour market.

"We know our children won't have the same linear careers we had and we need a pension system that allows that. We need to have faith in a system that is not deemed to favour one person over another."

Philippe said that under the new system, every hour worked will earn pension rights, which will benefit gig economy workers such as bicycle courriers and office cleaners, who often do not earn enough to lock in pension rights under the current system.

With the strike over the reform in its second week, there were signs of mounting irritation among morning commuters as they grappled with a skeleton train and metro service in the capital, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/paris-opera-ballet-dancers-hang-up-shoes-in-pension-reform-protest-267326">Paris</a>.

"I've had it today," said one frustrated traveler as he battled his way through a crowded platform.

Before the prime minister's speech, hard-left unions showed no sign of backing down in a battle of political will that could make or break Macron's presidency. The CGT union has called for further protests on December&nbsp;12 and December&nbsp;17.

Prime Minister Edouard Philippe defied striking workers on Wednesday with plans for a long-anticipated overhaul of France's byzantine pension system that he said would be fairer and encourage people to work longer.

Prime Minister Edouard Philippe defied striking workers on Wednesday with plans for a long-anticipated overhaul of France's byzantine pension system that he said would be fairer and encourage people to work longer. France would replace a convoluted system of more than 42 separate state-funded plans with a universal, points-based system that will apply to those entering the job market for the first time in 2022, Philippe said in a speech that followed days of protests and strikes. He did though show some flexibility to unions over the timing of the implementation of the plan, saying anyone within 17 years of retirement would be exempt. "The time has come to build a universal pension system," Philippe said in a much-anticipated speech. "There is no hidden agenda. "We want to protect the purchasing power of the workers and pensioners of today and tomorrow." The legal retirement age would remain at 62, the prime minister said, but workers would be incentivised to work longer through a system of bonuses and discounts. There would be a minimum pension of 1,000 euros per month for those who worked a full career. Reform of France's pension system, which offers some of the most generous benefits in the industrialised world, has proven a treacherous task for past and present governments. A strike by public sector workers over the past week has crippled France's transport network, closed schools and forced the cancellation of some flights. The strongest opposition to the planned reform has come from workers with 'special benefit' plans, including rail employees, dockers and Paris Opera singers who are entitled to retire on a full pension years before the average retirement age of 62. Philippe said a universal, points-based system would be fairer, giving every pensioner the same rights for each euro contributed, and enable workers to move more freely from one job to another in the modern-day labour market. "We know our children won't have the same linear careers we had and we need a pension system that allows that. We need to have faith in a system that is not deemed to favour one person over another." Philippe said that under the new system, every hour worked will earn pension rights, which will benefit gig economy workers such as bicycle courriers and office cleaners, who often do not earn enough to lock in pension rights under the current system. With the strike over the reform in its second week, there were signs of mounting irritation among morning commuters as they grappled with a skeleton train and metro service in the capital, Paris. "I've had it today," said one frustrated traveler as he battled his way through a crowded platform. Before the prime minister's speech, hard-left unions showed no sign of backing down in a battle of political will that could make or break Macron's presidency. The CGT union has called for further protests on December 12 and December 17.

France's prime minister defies unions with pension overhaul

French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe on Friday said that the government is "very determined" to go ahead with its <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/france-unions-call-for-new-protests-strikes-on-tuesday-over-pension-reforms-266676">pension reform</a>, news agency AFP reported.&nbsp;

The prime minister added that the French government would work with trade unions to introduce a single points-based <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/french-strike-against-macron-reforms-enters-day-two-266522">pension scheme</a>.

Philippe stressed that the proposed changes in the current pension scheme would be unveiled on Wednesday and will be introduced "progressively, without harshness," AFP reported.&nbsp;

President Emmanuel Macron-led government is facing a lot of dissent over the proposed overhaul to the existing pension scheme.&nbsp;

The French government believes&nbsp;that the new pension reform will be fair to all but will also require people to work longer and beyond the minimum pension age, which in France is 62 years.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, French unions on Friday called for strikes and mass protests next week on Tuesday. This comes after thousands took to the streets on Thursday protesting Macron-proposed retirement overhaul.

"Everybody in the street on Tuesday, December 10, for a new day... of strikes, actions and protests," Catherine Perret, a senior member of the CGT union, France's biggest public-sector union, told reporters after a meeting of four unions.

Unions' strikes and protest spilled into the second day on Friday, derailing public transport and affecting hundreds on travelers.&nbsp;

Unions argue that Macron's "universal" pension system would eliminate dozens of separate plans for public workers and will force millions of people, in both public and private sectors, to work well beyond the legal retirement age of 62.&nbsp;

French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe on Friday said that the government is "very determined" to go ahead with its pension reform, news agency AFP reported. The prime minister added that the French government would work with trade unions to introduce a single points-based pension scheme.

French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe on Friday said that the government is "very determined" to go ahead with its pension reform, news agency AFP reported. The prime minister added that the French government would work with trade unions to introduce a single points-based pension scheme. Philippe stressed that the proposed changes in the current pension scheme would be unveiled on Wednesday and will be introduced "progressively, without harshness," AFP reported. President Emmanuel Macron-led government is facing a lot of dissent over the proposed overhaul to the existing pension scheme. The French government believes that the new pension reform will be fair to all but will also require people to work longer and beyond the minimum pension age, which in France is 62 years. Meanwhile, French unions on Friday called for strikes and mass protests next week on Tuesday. This comes after thousands took to the streets on Thursday protesting Macron-proposed retirement overhaul. "Everybody in the street on Tuesday, December 10, for a new day... of strikes, actions and protests," Catherine Perret, a senior member of the CGT union, France's biggest public-sector union, told reporters after a meeting of four unions. Unions' strikes and protest spilled into the second day on Friday, derailing public transport and affecting hundreds on travelers. Unions argue that Macron's "universal" pension system would eliminate dozens of separate plans for public workers and will force millions of people, in both public and private sectors, to work well beyond the legal retirement age of 62.

'Very determined' to go ahead with pension reform: French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe