24 January, 2023More than one million people took to the streets in France on 19 January to protest the government’s pension reform, which includes raising the pension age from 62 to 64. French unions are calling for a second day of strikes on 31 January unless the proposal is withdrawn.
In addition to adding two years to the pension age, reform proposed by the government also scrapes the special regimes which makes provision for some workers, mostly in the public sector, to retire early.
Unions are highly critical of the reform, saying that it is unacceptable as it does not take the interests of the people into consideration.
A joint union petition has so far received more than 600,000 signatures. In a joint union statement, the unions have declared they want government to abandon the retirement age of 64 as well as the increase in the contribution period. Unions demand that there are other solutions which are just being dismissed. IndustiALL affiliates in CFDT, CGT, FO, CFE-CGC, CFTC are included in this joint statement.
IndustriALL general secretary, Atle Høie, states:
“We support our affiliates in their fight for workers’ pension and rights. We stand in support of our affiliates who are calling for the removal of this unjust reform.”