- Title: Macron calls for Christmas truce in French pension strikes
- Date: 21st December 2019
- Summary: ABIDJAN, IVORY COAST (DECEMBER 21, 2019) (REUTERS) ***WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** FRENCH PRESIDENT, EMMANUEL MACRON, AT NEWS CONFERENCE WITH IVORIAN PRESIDENT, ALASSANE OUATTARA MACRON SPEAKING (FROM LEFT) FRENCH SPORTS MINISTER, ROXANA MARACINEANU, FRENCH FINANCE AND ECONOMY MINISTER, BRUNO LE MAIRE, FRENCH HEALTH MINISTER, AGNES BUZYN AND PARLY LISTENING (SOUNDBITE) (French) FRENCH PRESIDENT, EMMANUEL MACRON, SAYING: "Strike action is justifiable and protected by the constitution, but I think there are moments in a nation's life when it is good to observe a truce out of respect for families and family life. So I'm calling on everyone to have this sense of responsibility. Each of us understands that a truce does not mean acceptance or abandonment but simply a sense of responsibility and the respect owed to French people who are sometimes apart and wish to be reunited during this festive period." MACRON AND OUATTARA AT NEWS CONFERENCE
- Embargoed: 4th January 2020 22:17
- Keywords: Christmas holidays Emmanuel Macron labour unions pension reform pension strikes
- Location: ABIDJAN, IVORY COAST
- City: ABIDJAN, IVORY COAST
- Country: France
- Topics: Lawmaking,Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA001BAX4ND3
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: French President Emmanuel Macron on Saturday (December 21) called on transport unions to suspend strikes over pension reform during the Christmas holidays to avoid travel disruption.
"Strike action is justifiable and protected by the constitution, but I think there are moments in a nation's life when it is good to observe a truce out of respect for families and family life," Macron said during a news conference with Ivorian counterpart Alassane Ouattara in Abidjan.
Two weeks of nationwide industrial action against Macron's planned overhaul of the pension system, including the scrapping of special regimes for sectors like the railways, have crippled train services.
Despite calls by some unions to suspend strikes during the festive season, several rail worker groups are continuing stoppages as travellers head off on holiday.
Macron said a strike pause would not mean unions had abandoned their demands, but would show "the sense of responsibility and the respect owed to French people who are sometimes apart and wish to be reunited during this festive period."
National rail operator SNCF continued to run reduced services on Saturday, including half the usual number of its high-speed TGV trains, while half of metro lines in Paris were closed.
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