(MENAFN- Trend News Agency) French unions on Tuesday called for two more days of strike
action on Feb. 7 and 11, to try to force the government to retract
its pension reform plan announced earlier this month, trend reports citing
xinhua .
The French Interior Ministry said that more than 1.2 million
people took to the streets across France on Tuesday, to express
their anger against the controversial reform that will force
employees to work until they are 64.
However, the CGT, France's largest union, said that 2.8 million
people marched on Tuesday during the second day of general
mobilization.
In the country's major cities, local authorities also registered
more demonstrators than on Jan. 19. In Marseille, the Prefecture
reported 40,000 demonstrators, compared to 26,000 on Jan. 19.
According to French daily Le Figaro, clashes took place between
some demonstrators and police in Paris, and tear gas and smoke
bombs were fired.
Police confirmed that 23 people were arrested during the
demonstration in Paris for attacking security forces.
French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne said on social media that
she had heard the 'questions and doubts' of those who reject the
reform.
However, while speaking on TV channel France 2 the country's
Minister of Public Action and Accounts Gabriel Attal ruled out
suspending the pension reform project.
'If we do nothing, we will have a big problem paying pensions in
the years to come. There will be 20 million pensioners to pay,' he
said.
At the end of the demonstration on Tuesday evening, the CGT
announced its intention to continue strikes at refineries on Feb.
6, 7 and 8.
This could cause production to halt at certain sites, Eric
Sellini, coordinator for TotalEnergies, told Le Figaro.
On Jan. 10, Elisabeth Borne laid out details of the pension
reform plan, which would progressively raise the legal retirement
age by three months a year from 62 to 64 years by 2030, and put in
place a guaranteed minimum pension.
Starting in 2027, people would have to work for 43 years to
qualify for a full pension.