Third round of nationwide strikes underway against Macron's 'unpopular' pension reform plan
France pension protests
Rail services were shut down, schools disrupted and refinery deliveries halted as trade unions launched thethird round of nationwide strikes against President Emmanuel Macron and hishighly unpopular pension reform planon Tuesday.
The strikes come a day after debates began in the parliament on the passing of the legislation. According to local reports, workers across multiple sectors walked out as unions persuaded them to take to the streets and send a strong message to the government.
WATCH | WION Fineprint: French pension reforms face backlash
Despite the resistance, the Macron government has remained steadfast that it will pass the legislation, having failed to do so on previous occasions.
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Labour Minister Olivier Dussopt on Monday said, "I know this reform is difficult but I know that undertaking it is showing the courage others have lacked."
Addressing the parliament last month, Dussopt also added that giving up on the legislation at this time 'would be giving up on getting the system back in balance'.
Read more: French government refuses to back down on pension reform
The Macron government, through its proposed legislation, is attempting toraisethe legal retirement age in the country to 64, from the current 62.
The government is of the view that extending the pension age will prevent the 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.
In January, taking a stern approach, Macron said he will get the reform bill passed in this year only.
“This year will indeed be that of a pension reform that aims to guarantee the equilibrium of our system in the years and decades to come,” he said in a televised address.
Read more: Macron government announces pension reforms amid strike threat by trade unions
Since coming to power in 2017, fixing France's complicated pension has been one of the top agendas of the Macron administration.However, given the scale of demonstrations, the Macron administration may have to reel back in its aggressiveness.
(With inputs from agencies)
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