Sunday, January 05, 2020



What happens next? Pension strikes in France enter crucial week

5 January 2020

The ongoing transport strikes have caused chaotic scenes on French train stations for nearly a month now. Photo: AFP

How long will the strikes in France go on for and what will happen next? The answers to those questions depend very much on what happens on these crucial dates.

A labour walkout that has frustrated Paris commuters and marooned thousands of holiday travellers in France is into its second month, becoming the country's longest continuous railway strike with no end in sight.

The standoff over the government's plan to merge 42 pension schemes into a single, points-based system has seen workers at the state-owned SNCF railway company and Paris' RATP public transport operator down tools since December 5.

The previous longest SNCF strike, over salary and working conditions, lasted for 28 days in 1986 and early 1987.

How long will it go on for and what will happen next? The answers to those questions depend very much on what happens on the key dates below.

Friday January 3rd - Monday January 6th
From Friday January 3rd, the collective SOS Retraites (SOS Pensions) joined the strike to protest against the French government's proposed pension reform. The collective's 700,000 members span a wide range of independent professional groups (professions libérales) from doctors and nurses to physiotherapists, accountants, airline personnel and lawyers.

According to a statement published on Twitter, independent nurses joining from SOS Retraites (not those who work in hospitals) would decline all form for medical treatment starting January 3rd and independent doctors will close their offices on January 6th.

Le CNB appelle tous les avocats à la #GreveGenerale le 6 janvier contre la #reformedesretraites ! Les 16 professions du Collectif #SOSRetraites seront en grève du 3 au 6 janvier. pic.twitter.com/j3v1IUpEXb
— CNB (@CNBarreaux) December 26, 2019

The SNPL union, the largest union representing French pilots and air crew, had initially announced walk-outs starting January 3rd, but cancelled after talks with the government.

Tuesday January 7th
After a chilly Christmas break during which both parties refused to bow down, the French government and unions will resume their talks on January 7th. One of the main points they will address is what is known as la pénabilité, which refers to compensating those with particularly difficult working conditions. Under the current 42 different pension regimes these groups benefit from earlier retirement and relatively advantageous pension salaries, which would disappear in the government's proposed universal points-based system
The so-called age pivot, which would see workers having to continue their jobs until the age of 64 to earn a full pension rather than the current legal retirement age of 62 is also a big bone of contention.

READ ALSO French strikers say 'If we give in now, we will have lost everything'

The French government and the unions did not manage to negotiate a Christmas truce. Can they compromise when talks resume in January? Photo: AFP

Tuesday January 7th - Friday January 10th
In addition to the ongoing transport strike, the CGT union has called for a blockade of oil refineries from January 7th to 10th in its determination to bring the country to a halt.

In the past such blockades have led to fuel stations across the country running dry.

A blockade of several refineries towards the start of the strike action lead to around 300 filling stations around the country closing completely, while another 300 reported very low supplies of petrol and diesel.

Deputy Economy Minister Agnes Pannier-Runacher warned Thursday that such action would be "illegal".

Thursday January 9th MASS STRIKE!
Unions are calling for all French people to join the strike movement on Thursday 9th for another big round of strike actions and national protests. There will be protest marches in Paris and in the other big cities that day.

The last protest day was on December 17th, when between 615,000 (according to the French Home Office) and 1,8 million (according to the unions) people in the country joined the march.

Unions will be hoping for an even bigger turn out to keep the pressure on the government.

Many schools will likely close on January 9th as teachers once again down tools. Flights may also be affected with air traffic controllers having also joined the movement on the main protest days in December.

READ ALSO: Don't ask 'why are the French always striking' but look at what the strikers have achieved

A lot of people gathered at Place de la République on December 17th to protest against the French government's pension reform plans. Photo: AFP

Saturday January 11th
The joint union group has called for more strikes and street protests across the country on Saturday January 11th.


Monday January 13th - Friday January 17th
This will be a real crunch week for the French government. Heads of the relevant ministries will meet with their respective unions for talks to pin down the final details of the bill.
A big question is what concessions will be made and to whom. The government have already said they are open to including exceptions for several professional groups, both regarding the implementation of the new regime and the transition period at the end of their careers.

The government has said it will also delayed the implementation of the new pension scheme to only affect people born after 1975.

Wednesday January 22nd
This is the day when the final law proposal will be presented in front of the Conseil des Ministres, the French government. President Emmanuel Macron said in his New Year’s Eve speech that he was hoping for a “quick compromise (..) with the unions” in order to keep the tight schedule.

If all goes according to plan, the Parliament will receive the proposal at the end of February.

In summary there is a long way to go yet before we really know when transport in France will return to normal.

French govt huddles as unions vow to harden strike

Issued on: 03/01/2020


Paris (AFP)

French officials met Friday to set out their strategy ahead of fresh talks with unions furious over planned pension overhauls, with labour leaders warning of new strike actions alongside a gruelling transport strike now in its 30th day.

"The government is at work to try to find a way toward a rapid compromise," spokeswoman Sibeth Ndiaye told France 2 television as Prime Minister Edouard Philippe gathered ministers for the unscheduled meeting.

Unions have roundly rejected plans to scrap France's 42 separate pension regimes for a single points-based system, which they say could require millions of people to work beyond the official retirement age of 62.

President Emmanuel Macron made the reform a key plank of his election campaign, saying it would be more transparent and fairer, in particular to low earners and women.

Yet the government has already announced a series of concessions to certain sectors, such as police officers and military personnel, pilots and rail employees.

Many other public-sector workers are demanding similar exceptions to the new rules, which would set a "pivot age" of 64 which people would have to work until to receive a full pension.

The hard-line CGT union has called for a four-day blockade of the country's fuel refineries and depots starting Tuesday, when talks between unions and the government are to resume.

Two unions representing pilots and cabin crew at Air France have called a strike for next week, as have lawyers, physiotherapists and other self-employed workers who have separate -- and more advantageous -- pension schemes.

- War of wills -

Macron insisted during his traditional New Year's Eve address that he would push ahead with the reform, which will be presented to his cabinet on January 22 ahead of parliamentary debate.

He said the new system is needed because most people are starting their careers later, and are living longer.

But he promised that people with particularly arduous jobs would still be allowed to retire early, a main sticking point in the talks with unions, along with the new "pivot age" of 64 to qualify for a full pension.

Macron is also hoping to win the battle of public opinion, betting that support for the strike will waver the longer the disruptions persist.

Unions have already called for another day of mass demonstration next Thursday, when teachers, hospital workers and others are expected to join the strike.

Although the number of strikers at train operator SNCF and the Paris transport company RATP has fallen since the protest began on December 5, travellers continue to suffer from extensive service disruptions.

Most Paris metro lines were operating only at rush hours or with just a few trains every hour, and a third of the country's high-speed TGV trains were cancelled on Friday.

It has become the longest continuous train strike in French history, as well as the longest by Paris Opera dancers and other employees, who also have a separate pension system that allows them to retire early.

So far 63 performances at the Opera's historic Garnier and modern Bastille stages have been cancelled during the strike, costing the company more than 12 million euros ($13.4 million) in lost ticket sales.

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