(C) Common Dreams
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Strikes and Protests Across France as Macron Faces Pensions Showdown [1]
['Aurelien Breeden']
Date: 2023-01-19
Classrooms in France were empty, trains were still and the Paris metro was heavily disrupted on Thursday as hundreds of thousands of workers around the country went on strike and protested President Emmanuel Macron’s plans to raise the legal age of retirement.
More than 200 demonstrations were planned, and the authorities expected 550,000 to 750,000 protesters to march on the first day of what could be a prolonged showdown between the government and a united front of labor unions.
Teachers, railway workers and employees at public radio stations and oil refineries went on strike, traffic at the northern port of Calais ground to a halt and the Eiffel Tower was closed. Labor unions at France’s national electric utility company, where nearly 45 percent of employees were on strike, said they had intentionally lowered output.
The walkout represents a crucial test for both the unions, who need a show of strength, and for Mr. Macron, who is hoping to forge ahead despite widespread popular opposition to his plans, which include a measure to raise the retirement age from 62 to 64.
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[1] Url:
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/19/world/europe/france-strikes-macron-retirement-age.html
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