"Protesters with placards oppose the government of President..."

#9524540

31 January 2023

A young woman is holding a placard reading "Who could have predicted this protest?" More than 60,000 people (80,000 according to the unions) are taking to the streets in Toulouse for the second time in two weeks to protest against the planned reform of pensions and retirement age. France's labour unions have jointly called for a new day of major strike action and protests across France against President Emmanuel Macron's government's plans to reform the pension system and raise the retirement age to 64 from 62, a move which opinion polls show is opposed by a vast majority (93%) of workers already facing a cost-of-living crisis. Nearly all sectors' unions have called for this strike and protest: mining and energy, health, schooling, transportation, truck drivers, refining workers, bank workers, etc. The retirement age would be raised to 64 years (for 43 years of continued work) and pensions would be lower, especially for women, people with "short careers" and those on low wages. The COR (Counsel of Pension Guidance), which is directly dependent on the Prime Minister's Office, said in its latest report on September 2022 that it sees no need to reform the pension system as its share in the French GDP is expected to remain steady until at least 2070. Toulouse, France, January 31st 2023.

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