French unions call for strikes over pension reform

Trade unions in France have called for strikes and protests in response to government plans to gradually raise the retirement age to 64 by the year 2030.

Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne detailed the unpopular reform of the pension system before lawmakers in the National Assembly on Tuesday.

The current right to retire on a full pension at 62 is cherished by the French public, and the reform proposals are regarded by unions as unfair and unnecessary. Trade union leaders have agreed on a nationwide strike for Jan 19, which will start a series of industrial action and protests, reported the Le Monde newspaper.

The progressive nature of the planned changes, with extra support for those on the lowest pensions, may ease some resistance to the reforms, reported Reuters news agency.

The proposals include a guaranteed minimum pension income of not less than 85 percent of the net minimum wage, roughly 1,200 euros ($1,287) per month at current levels, for new retirees.

However, the reform is still deeply opposed by four in every five citizens, according to an Odoxa poll, and comes at a time when many are already struggling with a cost-of-living crisis.

"Nothing justifies such a brutal reform," Laurent Berger, leader of the CFDT union, told reporters.

Borne said the government would work on convincing the public that the reform was necessary. "I'm well aware that changing our pension system raises questions and fears among the French," she said on Tuesday. "We offer today a project to balance our pension system, a project that is fair," she added.

This is President Emmanuel Macron's second attempt to deliver pension system changes promised when he came to power in 2017. His original proposals prompted weeks of protests and transport strikes, and the plans were put on hold in 2020 as the government rushed to contain the COVID-19 pandemic.

The government has said the reforms are necessary to balance the accounts without raising taxes or cutting pensions, and insists raising the minimum retirement age will ensure the system does not run out of funds. France spends more than most other countries on pensions at nearly 14 percent of economic output, according to the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development.

Borne said the retirement age will be raised by three months per year from September, reaching the target age of 64 in 2030. From 2027, it will be necessary to have worked 43 years to receive a full pension. "We must face reality and find solutions to preserve our social model," Borne said.

The left-wing France Insoumise, or France Unbowed party, and the far-right's National Rally promptly denounced the proposals. In a social media post, left-wing lawmaker Mathilde Panot said the reform was "archaic, unfair, brutal, cruel".

The proposed changes will be debated early next month in Parliament, where Macron's government does not have an absolute majority. If he is unable to gather the support required, the president may choose to use constitutional powers to bypass the assembly, which would further enrage opponents.

Video by Han Jing.