FRANCE: HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS MARCH IN OPPOSITION TO PROPOSED CHANGES TO RULES ON STATE SPONSORED PENSIONS

Record ID: 648627

  • Title: FRANCE: HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS MARCH IN OPPOSITION TO PROPOSED CHANGES TO RULES ON STATE SPONSORED PENSIONS
  • Date: 5th June 2003
  • Summary: (EU) PARIS, FRANCE (JUNE 3, 2003) (REUTERS) 1. SLV DEMONSTRATORS HOLDING BANNERS AND WAVING FLAGS; SLV DEMONSTRATORS CHANTING: 'THERE IS MONEY IN THE EMPLOYERS CASH REGISTER'; SLV DEMONSTRATORS MARCHING AND HOLDING BANNER (5 SHOTS) 0.36 2. (SOUNDBITE) (French) BERNARD THIBAULT HEAD OF CGT UNION, SAYING "We don't agree with the government's position who is trying to solve the problem of the pensions by saving money. As far as we are concerned we wish to discuss additional financing. The number of retired people will increase and the government can't claim to save money to meet the needs of the retired people." 0.59 3. SLV DEMONSTRATORS MARCHING; SLV DEMONSTRATORS CHANTING: 'ANGRY ARCHAEOLOGISTS, HERITAGE SACRIFICED'; SLV PEOPLE MARCHING; SLV DEMONSTRATING RUNNING AND HOLDING BANNER READING: 'PENSION FOR EVERYBODY' (4 SHOTS) 1.34 4. SMV MODELS OF AIR FRANCE PLANES; SLV PROTESTERS MARCHING WITH FLAGS; SLV PEOPLE CHANTING; SLV DEMONSTRATORS (3 SHOTS) 2.02 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 20th June 2003 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: PARIS, FRANCE
  • Country: France
  • Reuters ID: LVAEEQF8I5GXURCFKKJ5WN6RGLG0
  • Story Text: Hundreds of thousands of people have marched through
    Paris to oppose proposed changes to rules on state-sponsored
    pensions.



    French trade unions mobilised a one-day protest against
    planned state pension reforms on Tuesday (June 3, 2003).

    Demonstrators marched from North station to Nation Square
    waving banners that read 'pensions for everybody' and chanting
    'there is money in the employers cash register'.

    Bernard Thibault, head of the large CGT union said: "We
    don't agree with the government's position who is trying to
    solve the problem of the pensions by saving money. As far as
    we are concerned we wish to discuss additional financing. The
    number of retired people will increase and the government
    can't save money to meet the needs of the retired people."
    After a Black Tuesday on May 13, when strikes paralysed
    transport and shut schools, the country was braced for at
    least a Grey Tuesday with nation-wide walkouts in transport,
    education and other public service sectors.

    French unions are up in arms over plans to make public
    sector workers pay into the state pension system for 40 years,
    in line with the private sector, up from 37.5 years at
    present, in a bid to stave off the looming age-crunch.

    Despite a plea by President Jacques Chirac, who has called
    the reform urgent, the centre-right government is finding it
    hard to convince a workforce already annoyed at a watering
    down of the 35-hour workweek brought in by the previous
    government.

    A previous attempt at pension reform was abandoned in 1995
    after crippling transport strikes, and is seen as a reason for
    the downfall of the last centre-right government in 1997.

    Similar demonstrations also took place in a number of
    cities around France - several thousands demonstrators took to
    the streets in Marseille or Lyon.

    Earlier on Tuesday French public sector strikes crippled
    air traffic and commuter routes as railworkers and air traffic
    controllers led a new day of protest against the government's
    pension reform plans.



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