" A student is shouting through a megaphone during a protest..."

#9524550

31 January 2023

A student is shouting through a megaphone during a protest in Toulouse, France, on January 31st, 2023. More than 60,000 people (80,000 according to the unions) have taken to the streets for the second time in two weeks to oppose the planned reform of pensions and retirement age. Labour unions across France have jointly called for a new day of major strikes and protests 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 of unions have called for this strike and protest, including mining and energy, health, schooling, transportation, truck drivers, refining workers, and bank workers. The retirement age would be raised to 64 years (for 43 years of continued work) and pensions would be lower, particularly for women, those with 'short careers' and those on low wages. The COR (Counsel of Pension Guidance), which is directly under the Prime Minister's Office, said in its latest report in September 2022 that it sees no need to reform the pension system as its share in the French GDP will remain steady until at least 2070.

Restricted to Editorial Use Only.
Commercial use is not permitted without prior authorization.
Please contact us for more information.