- Title: FRANCE: French unions call millions to protest
- Date: 2nd October 2010
- Summary: PARIS, FRANCE (SEPTEMBER 23, 2010) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF DEMONSTRATIONS / PEOPLE WITH UNION BANNER MARCHERS WITH FLAGS BLOWING WHISTLES
- Embargoed: 17th October 2010 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: France
- Country: France
- Topics: Employment,Domestic Politics
- Reuters ID: LVADIW422073V1SBPJCQ5LBXHJZ8
- Story Text: French unions hope to draw at least two million people, including students and families, to demonstrate on Saturday (October 2) against the government's plan to raise the retirement age, the heads of two major unions said on Friday (October 1).
Unions have called for the day of protest, the fourth round of action against a bill that will see a rise in the retirement age. It is due to be debated in the Senate on Tuesday (October 5).
CGT confederation leader Bernard Thibault asked unions to support the protest and "deliver a message to the government" which he says "has been particularly deaf until now."
Tibault's call was echoed by Francois Chereque, chief of the powerful CFDT union. Speaking to RTL Radio, he questioned what the government was doing? and added: "We want between 2-3 million people" in the streets.
Unions say around three million people attended strikes and protests on September 23, while the police say the figure was about one million.
Work stoppages disrupted schooling, forced cancellations of up to 50 percent of flights at major airports and halved many of France's rail services.
The Senate has said it will offer minor concessions on the unpopular reform bill following nationwide protests but has ruled out any change to its key features.
Unions hoped last week's turnout would oblige the government to back down over the flagship reform of President Nicolas Sarkozy's five-year term.
The bill would raise the minimum legal retirement age to 62 from 60 and the age at which people can retire on a full pension to 67 from 65.
It is a major part of the government's plan to balance the system's finances by 2018 and reduce debts bloated by the recession of 2008-2009.
Chereque this week suggested the government should postpone a decision on the 67 full pension age until 2015. Georges Tron, state secretary for public affairs dismissed this, telling Canal+ television the government would stick to its guns.
The government says the legislation is essential to erase a growing deficit in the pay-as-you-go pension system, curb rising public debt and preserve France's AAA credit rating, which enables it to borrow at low rates. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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