AMN / WEB DESK
The Senate in France has voted in favour of raising the legal retirement age from 62 to 64. The move is part of the French government’s plan to reform the country’s pension system. Young people, including even those who are yet to enter the job market, have been up in arms against the controversial move.
While the government has maintained that the reform is aimed at making the public pension system financially stable, opponents have suggested a tax on the wealthy or more payroll contributions from employers to finance the pension system instead.
As the Senate approved President Emmanuel Macron’s new retirement plan last Saturday, protests have intensified in the country, with even reports of strikes in some cities.
According to figures from the interior ministry, 368,000 demonstrators marched through various cities yesterday. Authorities had expected up to one million people to take part.
As with the previous protests, yesterday’s events were free of any major scuffles with the police.
On Tuesday, 1.28 million people took to the streets, the highest turnout since the start of the protest movement, according to government figures.
In a joint statement, the French unions, maintaining a rare show of unity since the protest movement was launched at the end of January, called on the government to organise a “citizens’ consultation” as soon as possible.
The unions plan to keep up pressure “and to keep on proving that the vast majority of the population remains determined to say no to the proposed bill,” they said.
Opinion polls show a majority of voters oppose Macron’s plan, while a slim majority supports the strike actions.