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French Protests Against Government Pension Reform Continue, With Strikes All Over France

Le Monde, March 8, 2023

 

French protesters participate in a demonstration in Montpellier, southern France, on March 7, 2023	French protesters take part in a rally in Dunkirk, northern France, on March 7, 2023

French protesters participate in a demonstration in Toulouse, southwestern France on March 7, 2023	French protesters take part in a demonstration in Paris on March 7, 2023

 

French government is in a bind over pension reform

Le Monde, March 8, 2023

Pressured by the protest movement to give up its plan, the government appears to be increasingly in the grip of the right, which finally sees an opportunity to get its own reform adopted.

By a cleverly orchestrated coincidence, the right-wing Sénat majority had planned to examine on Tuesday, March 7, the postponement of the legal retirement age (from 62 to 64) at the same time as the unions were demonstrating their strength through a sixth day of protests against the pension reform. Even if the obstruction of the left prevented the article from being adopted during the night, the picture sums up quite well the situation in which the government has let itself be trapped.

Having failed to convince the public of the merits of the reform, and having failed to find a single ally among the unions at the end of a three-month consultation process, the government is now forced to appeal to the right. The hope is to achieve Emmanuel Macron's campaign commitment of making the French work longer. The president is doing so with his back to the wall, with the pressure of the protest movement working against him. The union's only demand is that he give up extending the legal retirement age, which would be tantamount to surrendering in the middle of a war.

The next 10 days are going to be crucial for the main parties on both sides of the dispute. After having succeeded in their sixth day of action (despite a drop in the number of strikers), the unions must find a way to maintain momentum during the next planned protests on March 11 and 15. While the labor movement has been widespread, peaceful and largely popular, certain factors risk increasing tensions. These include looming blockades in transport and refineries; the attempts at political recourse by radical political left-wing leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon, who on March 7 called for a referendum or the dissolution of the government; and the Macron administration's indifference to the widespread backlash against the reform.

Will conservatives save the day?

For the government, it is urgent to pass the reform, but it runs the risk of finding itself bound hand and foot by the right, which finally sees the opportunity to pass the reform it has been pushing for years in the Sénat. This time, Bruno Retailleau, the president of the Sénat's Les Républicains (right) group, has no reason to stifle his pleasure. The proposal corresponds more or less to his own. He can also afford to "enrich" it with, in particular, the creation of a special contract to incite companies to keep or hire older workers close to retirement, in exchange for paying fewer taxes. But this measure will be costly. At the beginning of the week, Labor Minister Olivier Dussopt had to acknowledge that the reform intended to balance the redistributive pension system by 2030 could leave behind a deficit of €300 million to €400 million.

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Who still understands the purpose of this reform, which has been presented as a means of financing the major projects of Macron's term, then as a necessary condition for saving the current system and finally as a way of reinforcing "social justice" and "equity"? The communication blunders committed since the presentation of the bill on January 10 show to what extent the government has ventured into minefields without taking any necessary precautions. The lies told by ministers about the number of beneficiaries of the minimum pension have accentuated the feeling that the reform is not only flawed but unfair. At this stage of incomprehension, the best the government can hope for is that Les Républicains will agree to save the day next week in the Assemblée Nationale. But it is not even sure of that.

French government is in a bind over pension reform (lemonde.fr)

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French pension reform: France disrupted by second day of rolling strikes

Around 1.28 million people took to the streets on Tuesday in demonstrations across the country, the interior ministry said, making turnout for the sixth protest day against the reform the highest so far.

Le Monde with AFP, March 8, 2023

Fuel deliveries and train traffic continued to be disrupted across France for a second day on Wednesday, March 8, after more than a million people protested against a controversial pensions overhaul.

President Emmanuel Macron and his government say raising the retirement age from 62 to 64 and stiffening the requirements for a full pension are essential to keep the system from sinking into deficit.

France lags behind most of its European neighbors, which have pushed back the retirement age to 65 or above. But the changes have faced stiff resistance in parliament and in the street since mid-January, with the opposition and unions arguing the changes are unfair, especially for low-skilled workers and women.

Unions on Tuesday night called for an urgent meeting with the president after strikes hobbled the country and 1.28 million people took to the streets, according to official figures. But the presidency has not yet directly responded to their request. Unions have announced a new day of demonstrations for Saturday, and some have vowed to keep up walkouts.

Eric Sellini, national coordinator of the CGT union federation at energy giant TotalEnergies, said workers at most fuel shipping sites were again on strike on Wednesday morning. The FO union at the same company said the action was necessary to "put extra pressure on the government".

Production however did not appear to have stopped at the refineries, and TotalEnergies said its petrol stations were well stocked. In the transport sector, national railway operator SNCF said more than half of high-speed trains had been canceled, with only one train in 10 operating between provinces. International travel remained slightly affected, with just three out of four Eurostar trains running.

Government spokesman Olivier Véran said officials remained open to dialogue as the bill makes its way through parliament. "The government's door is more than open," Véran told RTL radio. But "we respect the institutions," he said. "The government and prime minister are leading the text through parliament."

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The reform is now being debated in the upper-house Senate, with a vote by both houses of parliament expected by the middle of the month or by March 26 at the latest. Tuesday's protests were some of the biggest in decades and slightly bigger than a previous round of demonstrations on January 31.

French pension reform: France disrupted by second day of rolling strikes (lemonde.fr)

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French pension reform: Sénat fails to vote on retirement age

The Sénat will continue the examination of Article 7, postponing the retirement age to 64 years, on Wednesday.

Le Monde with AFP, March 8, 2023

After a tense session, the French Sénat ended up not voting, on the night of Tuesday, March 7, on the pivotal article of the pension reform bill raising the retirement age to 64 years.

In addition to the gradual increase in the legal retirement age, Article 7 of the bill provides for the acceleration of the lengthening of the contribution period, a focus of criticism from unions and the left.

The right initially used a rule of procedure to cut short the debate, before adopting an amendment to "rewrite" Article 7, which made the majority of the amendments from the left fall by the wayside. The "closure of debates," provided by Article 38, was proposed by the president of the right Les Républicains group, Bruno Retailleau, aimed at removing Article 7, which was proposed by the left. It was voted on by a show of hands.

This is the first time that Rule 38 of the Sénat Rules of Procedure has been used since its revision in 2015. It can be applied to speaking on an article, to explanations of a vote on an amendment or on an article or to explanations of a vote on an entire bill.

'Act of weakness'

"The use of this procedure is an act of weakness on the part of the right in the Sénat," said the president of the communist group, Eliane Assassi. Assassi denounced "a coup de force" and "an attack on democracy and the rights of Parliament." "This is not worthy of the Sénat," she said. "Shame on you." Patrick Kanner, leader of the Socialist senators, said, "It's a scandal." Green group president Guillaume Gontard said, "On a historic day of protest, on Article 7, the most important, you decide to gag Parliament, to censor the Sénat."

"It's been five days and five nights that we are dealing with obstruction," said Bruno Retailleau, for whom "obstruction is to Parliament what desertion is to a soldier." Sénat President Gerard Larcher (Les Républicains) said, "We had 124 interventions on this article. I consider that the requirements of clarity and sincerity have been met." The Sénat has rejected the 70 amendments tabled by the left requesting the removal of Article 7.

Before embarking on the examination of Article 7, the senators adopted by 236 votes to 103 the first revenue section of the bill, "a crucial step," said Minister of Public Accounts Gabriel Attal.

The entire afternoon discussion, once again almost exclusively led by the left, echoed the voices of demonstrators in the streets against the reform. The left-wing senators applauded the demonstrations organized in their constituencies. "The towns, the rural areas too, are mobilizing," stressed Gontard. Communist Fabien Gay added, "You are in the minority tonight. You will have to respond to what has just been expressed strongly in the street."

French pension reform: Sénat fails to vote on retirement age (lemonde.fr)

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French Pension reform: Protesters walk out across France as unions vow to bring country to a standstill

Unions are hoping protests against the French government's highly contested pension reform on Tuesday will be their biggest show of force yet.

Le Monde with AP and AFP, March 7, 2023

Fuel deliveries and public transport were severely disrupted in France on Tuesday, March 7, as unions kicked off a fresh day of protests against a pensions reform that would push back the retirement age for millions.

More than 250 protests are expected in Paris and around the country in what organizers hope is their biggest show of force yet against President Emmanuel Macron’s showcase legislation, after nearly two months of demonstrations. The bill is under debate in the French Senate this week.

The main protests against the pension reform Based on reports from authorities, unions, and the regional press, Le Monde is tracking the number of demonstrators across France, on March 7. The map is updated throughout the day. Filter the map by source : Unions Police Press Hover over the circles for more information. Numbers from press reports are not included in cities where police and the unions have provided their own counts. Sources : local press, 'Le Monde' count

Unions threatened to freeze up the French economy with work stoppages across multiple sectors, most visibly an open-ended strike at the SNCF national rail authority.

Laurent Berger, secretary general of the CFDT, hailed on Tuesday a "historic mobilization," "better than January 31." According to his CGT counterpart, Philippe Martinez, who spoke alongside him, "This will be the strongest day of mobilization since the beginning of this conflict."

Berger said that there were about "20%" more demonstrators than on January 31, which had brought together 1.27 million participants, according to the authorities, and 2.5 million according to the organizers, before the departure of the Parisian procession on the sixth day of mobilization against the pension reform.

"We mustn't give up, it's possible to make the government withdraw on 64 years," Berger told broadcaster LCI earlier in the day. "I call on all the country's employees, citizens and retirees who are against the pensions reform to come out and protest en masse," Berger told France Inter radio. "The president cannot remain deaf" to the protests, he added. The government encouraged people to work from home if their jobs allow.

Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne told French television on Monday that while she respected the right to protest, a nationwide standstill would primarily penalize "the most fragile" among the population.

Flights, schools, trains, fuel depots...

A fifth of flights were canceled at Paris' Charles de Gaulle Airport and about a third of flights at Orly Airport. Trains to Germany and Spain are expected to come to a halt, and those to and from Britain will be reduced by a third, according to the SNCF rail authority.

More than 60% of teachers in primary schools are expected to be on strike, as well as public sector workers elsewhere.

The reform would raise the official pension age from 62 to 64 and require 43 years of work to earn a full pension, as France's population ages and life expectancy lengthens. Opinion polls suggest most French voters oppose the bill. Left-wing lawmakers say companies and the wealthy should pitch in more to finance the pension system.

The hard-line CGT union said fuel deliveries from refineries across France had been blocked from Tuesday morning, which could see petrol stations running short if the protests continue as unions hope.

"The strike has begun everywhere... with deliveries blocked from all the refineries this morning," said Eric Sellini, branch coordinator for the hard-line CGT union, which had launched a similar blockade last autumn that eventually saw petrol stations running out of fuel.

The rate of strikers at the SNCF reached 39% at midday, according to a union source quoted by Agence France-Presse. It was 46.3% on January 19, during the first day of mobilization against the pension reform. However, the mobilization is higher than on other days, particularly that of January 31, which recorded 36.5% of strikers. The movement was followed by 76% of drivers and 55% of ticket inspectors.

Unions have warned of rolling strikes on public transport that could paralyze parts of the country for weeks on end.

Cross-Channel impact

Dozens of flights and trains were canceled and ferries delayed as French workers rallied against government pension reforms. Air traffic controllers and rail staff in France were among those to walk out.

Budget carrier EasyJet axed at least 18 flights between Britain and France while British Airways canceled at least 13, impacting passengers departing from hubs including Heathrow and Gatwick airports near London. Air France withdrew four flights from service between Heathrow and Paris.

Eurostar, which runs the cross-Channel rail service, canceled 16 of 26 trains scheduled between London and Paris, and a further six between the British capital and Brussels.

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The company warned the fallout from the protests "could extend beyond" Tuesday.

Ferry passengers traveling between Dover and Calais were told to expect disruption, with sailings delayed by up to 65 minutes. P&O Ferries advised passengers to travel on another date.

French Pension reform: Protesters walk out across France as unions vow to bring country to a standstill (lemonde.fr)

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French Pension reform: Sixth day of protests draws record number of demonstrators across France

According to the interior ministry, 1.28 million people demonstrated on Tuesday against French President Emmanuel Macron's pension plan, slightly higher than the 1.27 million estimated during a previous round of protests on January 31.

Le Monde with AFP, March 7, 2023

An estimated 1.28 million took to the streets across France on Tuesday, March 7, against French President Emmanuel Macron's plans to raise the retirement age from 62 to 64 by 2030 while strikes disrupted transport and schools.

The figure suggests the demonstrations were some of the biggest in decades, slightly higher than the 1.27 million estimated during a previous round of protests against the reform on January 31 which had seen record numbers since the beginning of the protest movement.

The main protests against the pension reform Based on reports from authorities, unions, and the regional press, Le Monde is tracking the number of demonstrators across France, on March 7. The map is updated throughout the day. Filter the map by source : Unions Police Press Hover over the circles for more information. Numbers from press reports are not included in cities where police and the unions have provided their own counts. Sources : local press, 'Le Monde' count

The hardline CGT union put the number of protesters at 3.5 million nationwide, a figure it said compared to 2.5 million on January 31.

Unions called for two new days of national protests, one on Saturday, March 11, and the other on March 15, the day when the French Parliament is to convene to discuss the bill in a joint committee.

For the sixth day of action against the reform, unions had said they wanted to bring France to a standstill. The mobilization in the streets was very strong, Laurent Berger, the secretary general of the moderate union CFDT said, describing it as "historic compared to the last 40 or 50 years."

As in previous demonstrations, Tuesday's processions were generally calm despite some clashes between some hooded demonstrators and the police in Paris, Nantes, Lyon and Rennes where water cannons were used. In Paris, 22 people were arrested. In Paris, figures vary from 700,000 according to the CGT to 81,000 for the Interior Ministry.

Only one in five regional and high-speed trains ran, however, and the Paris metro system operated with a skeletal schedule. Rubbish began piling up in the capital after garbage collectors walked off the job.

The rates of strikers remained slightly below the best scores recorded since the beginning of the movement, among railway workers (39% against 46.3% on January 19) as well as teachers and at utility EDF (47.65% of employees on strike according to management, against 50% on January 19). In the state civil service as a whole, nearly one agent in four was on strike, against 28% on the first day of action on January 19, and 19.4% on January 31.

"The government has to take (resistance) into account when there are so many people in the streets, when they're having so much trouble explaining and passing their reform," Berger said.

Ali Toure, a 28-year-old construction worker, was waiting for a delayed train north of Paris on Tuesday morning but said it was "no big deal" if he arrived late to work for a month. "They're right to be striking. Manual labor is hard," he said.

A blockade of oil refineries, underway since Tuesday morning, has the potential to cause severe disruption if it continues in the weeks ahead.

The reform was to continue its legislative proceeding in the Sénat on Tuesday evening with a debate over the article crystallizing the opposition of the unions and the left: The postponement of the legal retirement age to 64 years old.

French Pension reform: Sixth day of protests draws record number of demonstrators across France (lemonde.fr)