French unions have vowed to continue a nationwide strike that has brought transport to a virtual standstill as they dismissed the prime minister’s proposals on changing the pensions system, reports The Guardian.
After a week of strikes and demonstrations by hundreds of thousands of people, the prime minister, Édouard Philippe, gave a televised speech outlining the government’s planned pensions overhaul.
He vowed that the controversial pension changes would be implemented in phases, “without brutality”, and conceded that they would not affect workers born before 1975. He called the plan “fair” and said it justified putting a stop to the strikes.
He said the government would introduce France’s first ever minimum pension, available to those who have worked their entire lives, set at €1,000 (£841) per month – higher than the UK’s equivalent.
Crucially, Philippe said the legal retirement age would remain 62, although an additional two years of work would be required from 2027 for people to leave with a full pension. This means people born after 1974 will have to work until the age of 64 to get a full pension.