Demonstrations and walkouts continue, and students block school buildings in several cities.
Thursday marked the third day of protests against the government’s pension reform plan in France.
Protests and walkouts resumed this week for the sixth time since January, with thousands marching to oppose the reform plan, which sparked outrage when it was announced last year.
According to Le Figaro, the General Labor Confederation counted 3.5 million demonstrators on the streets of France on March 7, including 700,000 in Paris, while the Interior Ministry recorded 1.28 million people attending the protests.
While people protested, the Senate debated the draft bill and, on Wednesday evening, voted 201 to 115 in favor of the most contentious point, article 7, which raises the retirement age from 62 to 64 in 2030.
In response, CGT Secretary General Philippe Martinez told France 2 on Thursday morning that the move “will not change anything in the determination and mobilization (of the workers).”
On Tuesday, trade unions requested that President Emmanuel Macron be “received urgently,” and government spokesperson Olivier Veran stated that “the government’s doors are more than open to the unions.”
While the trade unions awaited a response, women marched across France on Wednesday to mark International Women’s Day.
It is now the turn of youth organizations to oppose the reform plan.
According to local media, high school and college students blocked school buildings in several cities, including the capital, Bordeaux, Rennes, and Strasbourg.
They plan to hold a rally in Paris in the afternoon.
Oil refinery workers are still on strike, and fuel transfer to stations remains obstructed in some refineries – but this has not resulted in a nationwide shortage for the time being, according to Le Figaro, citing CGT’s chemical branch.
While traffic in Parisian regional transportation has returned to normal, RATP, the national railway company SNCF, is still experiencing disruptions, according to Le Figaro.
Since workers’ walkouts have been extended, the French Directorate General for Civil Aviation (DGAC) urged companies on Wednesday to cancel up to 30% of flights scheduled for March 9 and 10 because much of the airport staff will be on strike, severely disrupting air traffic.
