French schools, airports and trains will face heavy disruptions on Tuesday for the sixth time this year as unions spurred people across the country to protest government plans to raise the retirement age for most workers. .
Paris is expected to bear the brunt of the protests, with most metro lines running only during peak hours, according to the city’s transport agency, RATP.
The main education union, FSU, said on Sunday that 120 schools would close for the day and 60% of primary teachers would be on strike in the French capital.
France’s civil aviation authority, for its part, asked airlines to reduce scheduled flights by 20% and 30% at Charles de Gaulle and Orly airports in Paris, respectively.
Air France said around 20% of short-haul flights would be cancelled, but long-haul services would be maintained.
The airline warned, however, that “delays and last minute cancellations cannot be ruled out”.
National rail operator SNCF said few regional trains would operate and that four out of five trains on the TGV, France’s high-speed intercity rail service, would be cancelled.
Manifestations
Trade unions and opposition parties are encouraging people to protest in the country’s main cities, hoping to “paralyze France”.
Philippe Martinez, general secretary of the CGT, the largest French union, said in an interview with Le Journal du Dimanche on Sunday that the unions “are moving forward” and he hopes “that the mobilizations will continue and grow until the government listens to the workers.”
France has suffered a series of strikes this year as workers protest against pension reforms planned by President Emmanuel Macron. The reforms will gradually raise the age at which most French citizens can receive a state pension from 62 to 64.
A record 1.3 million people took part in demonstrations on Jan. 19 that brought the country to a standstill and closed the Eiffel Tower to visitors.
The government has said pension legislation is needed to tackle the funding shortfall, but the reforms have angered workers at a time when the cost of living is rising.
The legislation is currently before French lawmakers, with a vote on the final version of the text due later this month.
If there is no support from opposition lawmakers, Macron’s government could fall back on Article 49.3 of the French constitution, a mechanism it has used several times to pass budget-related bills without putting them to a parliamentary vote.
Source: CNN Brasil
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