Tens of thousands of workers took to the streets in Paris, Marseille, Toulouse, Nantes and Nice to protest – Flights and train services cancelled.
Train services and flights were canceled in France, primary schools were closed and thousands of police were deployed on the streets as labor unions staged nationwide strikes to protest a government plan to raise the pension threshold for most workers.
Tens of thousands of workers took to the streets in Paris, Marseille, Toulouse, Nantes and Nice to protest. Public services did not operate and the Eiffel Tower remained closed to visitors.
Eight of the biggest unions have called on citizens to take to the streets on the “first day of strikes and protests” against pension reforms being pushed by the Macron government that would see the retirement age raised to 64 from the current 62.
Many train services were suspended, according to French rail authority SNCF, while there were also problems on metro lines, the city’s transport authority RATP said on Twitter. Meanwhile, Eurostar has canceled several routes between the French capital and London, according to its website, and several flights at Orly airport in Paris have been altered.
Also, several TotalEnergies (TOT) refinery workers walked off the job today, disrupting deliveries of petroleum products.
At the same time, over 40% of primary school teachers and over a third of secondary school teachers are on strike, according to France’s education ministry.
French Interior Minister Gérald Darmanen told French radio station RTL on Wednesday that more than 10,000 police and military personnel would be deployed to the protests, including 3,500 officers in Paris.
The protests against the pension reforms come as the French people are already under pressure from rising food and energy prices. The French government, for its part, argues that the increase in the retirement limit is necessary to address the pension funding deficit. France spent almost 14% of its GDP on state pensions in 2018, more than most other countries, according to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).
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With a wealth of experience honed over 4+ years in journalism, I bring a seasoned voice to the world of news. Currently, I work as a freelance writer and editor, always seeking new opportunities to tell compelling stories in the field of world news.
