French unions vow further protests on 10th
general strike against Macron’s pension plans
Rallies drew smaller crowds as government refuses to
budge on increased retirement age.
BY GIORGIO
LEALI
MARCH 28,
2023 10:53 PM CET
PARIS —
French unions vowed to continue demonstrations next week amid another day of
protests Tuesday against French President Emmanuel Macron’s controversial
pension reforms — the 10th general strike this year.
Clashes
broke out between small groups of protesters and police, especially in Paris,
where some people also ransacked a supermarket. But the number of protesters
also decreased almost everywhere in the country compared to last week,
according to estimates by both French authorities and unions. Around 730,000
people protested in total, compared to more than 1 million last Thursday,
according to the French interior ministry. Estimates by trade union CGT,
meanwhile, calculated that the number of protesters declined from 3.5 million
last week to approximately 2 million on Tuesday.
But
Parisians can expect some relief for their noses Wednesday when garbage
collectors are set to resume work after weeks of a strike that has left piles
of rubbish stacked along streets.
The
protests have been running since the beginning of the year, prompted by
Macron’s plans to raise the retirement age from 62 to 64 and increase the level
of contributions required to receive a full pension. Discontent mounted earlier
this month when the government decided to force the measures through parliament
without a vote, raising concerns that the protests could turn into a broader
anti-government movement like the Yellow Jackets, which brought months of
unrest during Macron’s first term in office.
The strikes
on Tuesday hit sectors including public transport and schools as well as energy
plants and oil refineries, causing fuel shortages.
But
Macron’s administration has not shown signs that it will revise the reforms.
Government spokesperson Olivier Véran on Tuesday rejected a proposal by the
CFDT union to put the measures on ice and find a mediator to resolve the
situation.
But Prime
Minister Elisabeth Borne has invited union representatives to meet at the
beginning of next week for talks, according to CFDT leader Laurent Berger.
“The anger
begins to rise, even among the most peaceful protesters,” Berger told
broadcaster TMC Tuesday evening after protests died down.
Major trade
unions are still planning a further day of strikes and protests next Thursday.
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