- Title: FRANCE: Thousands protest, stage weak strikes, against looming pension reform
- Date: 28th May 2010
- Summary: TOP VIEW OF DEMONSTRATION DEMONSTRATORS HOLDING UP BANNERS (SOUNDBITE) (French) DEMONSTRATOR SAYING: "We want a more equitable division of wealth. We feel that things should be more balanced between income from capital and income from work."
- Embargoed: 12th June 2010 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: France
- Country: France
- Topics: Employment,Domestic Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA3921RRXRTV8A7GW78983AQDYN
- Story Text: Tens of thousands of workers took to the streets in cities across France on Thursday (May 27) to protest against government plans to raise the minimum retirement age of 60 as part of a reform of the costly pension system.
Trade union leaders said the marches were the first step in a long struggle to defend the retirement age, a trademark reform of the late Socialist President Francois Mitterrand, against the current government which says it has no alternative.
A large cortege set off under pouring rain in Paris, with demonstrators alternating chants calling for the retirement age to be held at 60 and for better weather.
Francois Chereque, leader of the CFDT trades union called on the government to listen to the protesting masses and to review its plan.
"This unjust reform is beginning to mobilise the workforce. The government must take another look at its project and learn the lessons. It's obvious that the unions are beginning to draw substantial popular support and its up to the government to learn the lessons," he told reporters as the Paris march set off.
But most analysts think that is highly unlikely.
"What will come out of it is unclear, but it's probably certain that the government will not compromise," said Pierre Briancon, an analyst with Reuters Breakingviews.
He doubted that pressure from the streets would be enough to force the government into a u-turn as it has with previous labour market reforms.
"The big difference is called the recession and the looming, maybe another economic crisis on the horizon, a sovereign debt crisis in Western Europe. So combativity of unions is very low compared to what it was like four or five years ago."
Despite the calls for strikes, transport was working almost normally, as were the vast majority of post offices, telecommunications and schools.
In the southern port city of Marseille, the protests drew a larger turnout than a previous protest day in March. Unions estimated the crowd at 80,00 while police gave a figure of 12,000.
According to a report last month by the government-appointed Pensions Advisory Council, France's pension system faces a funding gap of around 70 billion euros ($86 billion) in 2030. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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