A procession of demonstrators marched in front of the statue of the Republic with trade union flags and banners calling for struggle on December 19, 2019, the fifteenth day of a national strike. (Photo: Samuel Boivin/NurPhoto/Getty Images)
Dec 22, 2019
French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday attempted to quell protests over his scheme to curtail the scope of France's pension system by announcing he would forego his own presidential pension--but the demonstrations, which shut down the country for the week leading up to Christmas, were nonetheless expected to continue through the holiday.
The 42-year-old French president said he would give up an automatic pension of EUR6,000 ($6653.19) a month after leaving office.
French protesters were not having it, as Bloomberg News explained:
Labor unions, which have led opposition to Macron's plans, have vowed to continue striking and marching during Christmas and into January. The CGT labor confederation on Monday said it was planning actions every day during the holiday season and stuck to its demands that the government must withdraw its planned reform. The union's railroad branch earlier had told AFP they would hold a concert at the Austerlitz train station in central Paris on Christmas Eve, as well as dinners in other stations.
Some workers in fuel depots have started blocking facilities in Lavera in Southern France, and others threaten to follow. Energy grid workers at EDF resorted to localized "sabotage" actions, temporarily cutting power to households or stadiums. Paris Metro is still severely disrupted, and less then half of the trains are planned to run on Tuesday across France.
Macron's proposed change to France's pensions would raise the age for a full pension to 64 from 62 and reinterpret the system to award payments based on points. The approach has generated a resistance movement with protesters blockading streets and engaging in a general strike.
Hundreds of people are blockading the HQ of the RATP Bus Company in #Paris, as transport workers continue the General Strike against Macron's Pension Cuts.#Greve23decembre #GiletsJaunespic.twitter.com/9GPs8Q3Tc7
-- Ian56 (@Ian56789) December 23, 2019
Though the strikes are disrupting travel during the holiday, the French support the actions.
Recent polling shows 62% of the country is behind the movement.
Join Us: News for people demanding a better world
Common Dreams is powered by optimists who believe in the power of informed and engaged citizens to ignite and enact change to make the world a better place. We're hundreds of thousands strong, but every single supporter makes the difference. Your contribution supports this bold media model—free, independent, and dedicated to reporting the facts every day. Stand with us in the fight for economic equality, social justice, human rights, and a more sustainable future. As a people-powered nonprofit news outlet, we cover the issues the corporate media never will. Join with us today! |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday attempted to quell protests over his scheme to curtail the scope of France's pension system by announcing he would forego his own presidential pension--but the demonstrations, which shut down the country for the week leading up to Christmas, were nonetheless expected to continue through the holiday.
The 42-year-old French president said he would give up an automatic pension of EUR6,000 ($6653.19) a month after leaving office.
French protesters were not having it, as Bloomberg News explained:
Labor unions, which have led opposition to Macron's plans, have vowed to continue striking and marching during Christmas and into January. The CGT labor confederation on Monday said it was planning actions every day during the holiday season and stuck to its demands that the government must withdraw its planned reform. The union's railroad branch earlier had told AFP they would hold a concert at the Austerlitz train station in central Paris on Christmas Eve, as well as dinners in other stations.
Some workers in fuel depots have started blocking facilities in Lavera in Southern France, and others threaten to follow. Energy grid workers at EDF resorted to localized "sabotage" actions, temporarily cutting power to households or stadiums. Paris Metro is still severely disrupted, and less then half of the trains are planned to run on Tuesday across France.
Macron's proposed change to France's pensions would raise the age for a full pension to 64 from 62 and reinterpret the system to award payments based on points. The approach has generated a resistance movement with protesters blockading streets and engaging in a general strike.
Hundreds of people are blockading the HQ of the RATP Bus Company in #Paris, as transport workers continue the General Strike against Macron's Pension Cuts.#Greve23decembre #GiletsJaunespic.twitter.com/9GPs8Q3Tc7
-- Ian56 (@Ian56789) December 23, 2019
Though the strikes are disrupting travel during the holiday, the French support the actions.
Recent polling shows 62% of the country is behind the movement.
French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday attempted to quell protests over his scheme to curtail the scope of France's pension system by announcing he would forego his own presidential pension--but the demonstrations, which shut down the country for the week leading up to Christmas, were nonetheless expected to continue through the holiday.
The 42-year-old French president said he would give up an automatic pension of EUR6,000 ($6653.19) a month after leaving office.
French protesters were not having it, as Bloomberg News explained:
Labor unions, which have led opposition to Macron's plans, have vowed to continue striking and marching during Christmas and into January. The CGT labor confederation on Monday said it was planning actions every day during the holiday season and stuck to its demands that the government must withdraw its planned reform. The union's railroad branch earlier had told AFP they would hold a concert at the Austerlitz train station in central Paris on Christmas Eve, as well as dinners in other stations.
Some workers in fuel depots have started blocking facilities in Lavera in Southern France, and others threaten to follow. Energy grid workers at EDF resorted to localized "sabotage" actions, temporarily cutting power to households or stadiums. Paris Metro is still severely disrupted, and less then half of the trains are planned to run on Tuesday across France.
Macron's proposed change to France's pensions would raise the age for a full pension to 64 from 62 and reinterpret the system to award payments based on points. The approach has generated a resistance movement with protesters blockading streets and engaging in a general strike.
Hundreds of people are blockading the HQ of the RATP Bus Company in #Paris, as transport workers continue the General Strike against Macron's Pension Cuts.#Greve23decembre #GiletsJaunespic.twitter.com/9GPs8Q3Tc7
-- Ian56 (@Ian56789) December 23, 2019
Though the strikes are disrupting travel during the holiday, the French support the actions.
Recent polling shows 62% of the country is behind the movement.
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.