The French president is determined to continue with the project, despite the fierce opposition announced by the trade unions and the rejection of the citizens
French President Emmanuel Macron considers the pension reform announced by his government “essential and vital”. The president is ready to implement it, despite the protests announced by the trade unions and the opposition of the majority of the French to the project, as well as the left and extreme right parties.
The Prime Minister, Élisabeth Borne, proposed on Tuesday to gradually raise the retirement age from the current 62 years to 64 years in 2030. To collect the full pension, the French must contribute for 43 years.
Borne also announced the revaluation of payments to a minimum pension of 1,200 euros per month for a full career and the end of “special regimes” for new hires. Thanks to the “special schemes”, employees of the SNCF (the French Renfe) or the Paris metro, for example, can retire earlier or under better conditions than other employees.
The eight main French trade unions (CFDT, CGT, FO, CFE-CGC, CFTC, Unsa, Solidaires and FSU) are preparing together for the first day of strikes and demonstrations on January 19, but they warn that more protests could come if the government does not withdraw your proposal. For trade unionist Laurent Berger, general secretary of the French Democratic Confederation of Labor (CFDT), the answer to the reform announced by the government is “still no” and “for all trade union organizations it is no”. “We are determined that this reform will not be approved,” said CGT leader Philippe Martinez.
“The pay-as-you-go system is not in danger and does not warrant such a ruthless reform,” say the unions, who believe that this change “will hit hard” all workers, especially those who started working very young, those who are precarious , those with a physically demanding job and women.
Olivier Véran, government spokesman, promises that he will go “to the end” to approve the reform and thus balance the pay-as-you-go system, a system in which workers finance pensions for pensioners. The united front of the unions against the reform “does not deter the executive,” Véran assured. “In our country, every time it is necessary to work a little more, every time the pension system needs to be reformed to adapt to the socio-professional and economic conditions of the moment, there is a mobilization,” recalls the spokesperson is on the Radio Station France Info.
The executive is ensuring that the pension reform is “neither lightning fast, nor brutal, nor anti-social”, as opponents say, but “a project of justice and progress and social”, in addition to a “necessary and urgent” reform. It is also one of Macron’s main promises. He already tried in his first legislature and failed due to strong opposition on the street. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the project has so far ended up in a drawer.
According to the planned calendar, the reform must be approved by the Council of Ministers on January 23. The National Assembly is expected to begin consideration of the text in early February so that it can enter into force on September 1. According to an opinion poll, 59% of the French are against the change. 60% support the union protests and 46% are ready to mobilize in the streets against the reform in the coming weeks.
Source: La Verdad
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