A union-led, nationwide day of strike action and street protests on Tuesday to push demands for better pay in face of rampant inflation drew a turnout of around 300,000 according to organisers - almost 120,000 according to the interior ministry -, including transport workers, teachers and postal staff, as developing social unrest over the cost-of-living crisis proves to be the first major challenge for Emmanuel Macron's second term in office.
Leading unions have called for strikes on Tuesday in their biggest challenge yet to President Emmanuel Macron since he won a new presidential term in May.
As strikes over pay demands set against rising inflation continue to block several French oil refineries, and a union call for a one-day general strike on Tuesday ups tensions in a first and burgeoning social crisis for Emmanuel Macron’s second term as president, the cost of living squeeze has also prompted industrial action in other European countries.
The now two-month long, union-led series of street protests and strikes against the French government's planned reform of the national pensions system saw another day of action with a march through Paris on Thursday, when unions representing employees from the capital's transport network announced they would strike on February 17th during the draft legislation's passage through parliament.
Lawyers, students and feminist groups joined in the seventh day of national strike action and demonstrations against proposed pension reforms by mostly public sector employees on Friday, when unions claimed 350,000 turned out for a march across Paris – 31,000 according to independent estimates – timed when ministers met at a cabinet meeting to approve the substance and schedule for the reforms due to begin their passage through parliament next month, and which the government plans to set out in legislation before the summer recess.
The union-led opposition to the French government’s planned pension reforms, which has notably seen transport services severely disrupted since early December, saw another day of widespread strike action and demonstrations on Thursday, although accoring to official figures turnout in the nationwide street protests was down on previous marches.
After weeks of union-led strikes and protests against government plans to reform France's pension system, and which have severely disrupted transport services, notably in the Greater Paris Region, French President Emmanuel Macron is expected to finally relieve his prime minister on the political frontline by announcing measures to break the deadlock during the traditional presidential New Year's Eve TV address on Tuesday.
The rolling strikes of French transport workers, and notably railways staff, which began in early December as part of national union-led protests against the government's plans to reform the pension system, on Friday became the longest since the winter of 1986 – and threaten to become the longest ever as talks are not set to resume until January 7th.
President Emmanuel Macron, 42, has announced that he will forgo his future head-of-state pension in an effort to be 'exemplary and coherent' amid the standoff with unions which reject his proposed universal pension reforms that would put an end to some relatively advantageous retirement rights.
The strikes crippling French transport systems appeared set to continue through the end-of-year holiday period after talks between government and unions to find a compromise over President Emmanuel Macron's reforms to the pension system failed to reach a conclusion on Thursday.
Official estimates said estimated 150,000 homes, as well as businesses, suffered power cuts during Tuesday's union-led national strikes and protests called against President emmanuel Macron's proposed pensions reform, a strategy that the leader of one of the largest unions defended on Wednesday because 'spitting on the public service can make some of us angry', adding that 'we may amplify these kinds of methods'.
A day of strikes and demonstrations led by trades unions on Tuesday against the French government's planned overhaul of the pensions system mobilised strong support, with unions claiming a nationwide turnout in street marches of 1.8 million people, while interior ministry figures estimated the total numbers at 615,000.
With more strikes called for Tuesday by unions opposing his planned reform of France's pension system, President Emmanuel Macron met with ministers on Sunday to discuss details of the draft legislation to be unveiled by his prime minister on Wednesday.
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