French workers went on strike and joined marches across the country, halting trains and cutting electricity production in protest against government plans to raise the retirement age
The stoppages are a major test for President Emmanuel Macron, who said on Thursday that his pension reform plan, which opinion polls show is hugely unpopular, was "just and responsible" and had to be carried out."It's salaries and pensions that must be increased, not the retirement age," read one large banner carried by workers that opened the protest march in Tours, in western France.
Hundreds of thousands took part in rallies across the country, according to police estimates combined by Le Monde newspaper. In Nice, in southern France, a large banner read: "No to the reform." The government says the pension reform is vital to ensure the system does not go bust. Pushing back the retirement age by two years and extending the pay-in period would bring an additional 17.7 billion euros in annual pension contributions, allowing the system to break even by 2027, according to Labour Ministry estimates.
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