France hit by new wave of strikes against Macron's pension reform - Reuters

SAINT-NAZAIRE, France, Jan 31 (Reuters) - Striking workers disrupted French refinery deliveries, nationalist transport and schools connected Tuesday successful a 2nd time of nationwide protests implicit President Emmanuel Macron's program to marque radical enactment longer earlier retirement.

Crowds marched done cities crossed France to denounce a betterment that raises the status property by 2 years to 64 and which is simply a trial of Macron's quality to propulsion done alteration present that helium has mislaid his moving bulk successful parliament.

On the obstruction networks, lone 1 successful each 3 high-speed TGV trains were operating and adjacent less section and determination trains. Services connected the Paris metro were thrown into disarray.

Buoyed by their occurrence earlier successful the period erstwhile much than a cardinal radical took to the streets, commercialized unions which person been battling to support their powerfulness and power urged the nationalist to turnout en masse.

"We won't thrust until we're 64!" autobus operator Isabelle Texier said astatine a protestation successful Saint-Nazaire connected the Atlantic coast, adding that galore careers progressive pugnacious moving conditions.

Others felt resigned up of apt bargaining betwixt Macron's ruling confederation and blimpish opponents who are much unfastened to pension betterment than the left.

"There's nary constituent successful going connected strike. This measure volition beryllium adopted successful immoderate case," said 34-year-old Matthieu Jacquot, who works successful the luxury sector.

Unions said fractional of superior schoolhouse teachers had walked disconnected the job. TotalEnergies (TTEF.PA) said 55% of its workers connected greeting shifts astatine its refineries had downed tools, a little fig than connected Jan. 19. The hard-left CGT national said the fig was inaccurate.

For unions, the situation volition beryllium maintaining a onslaught question astatine a clip erstwhile precocious ostentation is eroding salaries.

At a section level, immoderate announced "Robin Hood" operations unauthorised by the government. In the southwestern Lot-et-Garonne area, the section CGT commercialized national subdivision chopped powerfulness to respective velocity cameras and disabled astute powerfulness meters.

"When determination is specified a monolithic opposition, it would beryllium unsafe for the authorities not to listen," said Mylene Jacquot, caput wide of the CFDT union's civilian servants branch.

Opinion polls amusement a important bulk of the French reason the reform, but Macron intends to basal his ground. The betterment was "vital" to guarantee the viability of the pension system, helium said connected Monday.

A thoroughfare march successful Paris takes spot aboriginal successful the day.

'BRUTAL'

The pension strategy reform would output an further 17.7 cardinal euros ($19.18 billion) successful yearly pension contributions, according to Labour Ministry estimates.

Unions accidental determination are different ways to rise revenue, specified arsenic taxing the ace affluent oregon asking employers oregon well-off pensioners to lend more.

"This betterment is unfair and brutal," said Luc Farre, the caput wide of the civilian servants' UNSA union. "Moving (the pension age) to 64 is going backwards, socially."

French powerfulness proviso was down by 4.5% oregon 3 gigawatts (GW), arsenic workers astatine atomic reactors and thermal plants joined the strike, information from inferior radical EDF (EDF.PA) showed.

TotalEnergies said deliveries of petroleum products from its French sites had been halted due to the fact that of the strike, but that customers' needs were met.

The authorities made immoderate concessions portion drafting the legislation. Macron had primitively wanted the status property to beryllium acceptable astatine 65, portion the authorities is besides promising a minimum pension of 1,200 euros a month.

Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne has said the 64 threshold is "non-negotiable", but the authorities is exploring ways to offset immoderate of the impact, peculiarly connected women.

Hard-left absorption fig Jean-Luc Melenchon, a vocal professional of the reform, said parliament would connected Monday statement a question calling for a referendum connected the matter.

"The French are not stupid," helium said astatine a march successful Marseille. "If this betterment is vital, it should beryllium imaginable to person the people."

Reporting by Forrest Crellin, Benjamin Mallet, Sudip Kar-Gupta, Leigh Thomas, Blandine Henault, Michel Rose, Dominique Vidalon, Benoit Van Overstraeten; Writing by Ingrid Melander and Richard Lough; Editing by Janet Lawrence

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