France must raise pension age to 64, prime minister says

PARIS –

France’s prime minister insisted Sunday that the federal government’s plan to boost the retirement age from 62 to 64 is “no longer negotiable,” additional angering parliamentary opponents and unions who plan new mass protests and disruptive strikes this week.

Raising the pension age is one a part of a broad invoice that’s the flagship measure of President Emmanuel Macron’s second time period. The invoice is assembly widespread standard resistance — greater than 1 million folks marched towards it earlier this month — and misunderstanding about what it’ll imply for right this moment’s French employees.

In an interview with France-Info radio broadcast Sunday, Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne mentioned the age “is no longer negotiable.”

Retirement at 64 and a lengthening of the variety of years wanted to earn a full pension “is the compromise that we proposed after having heard employers’ organizations and unions,” she mentioned.

A union-led on-line petition towards the retirement plan noticed a surge in new signatures after Borne’s feedback. France’s eight main unions are in discussions Sunday a couple of joint response to her remarks, in accordance with officers with the FO and CFDT unions.

Lawmaker Manuel Bompard, whose France Unbowed get together is main the parliamentary push towards the reform, known as for “the biggest possible” turnout for upcoming strikes and protests.

“We have to be in the streets Tuesday,” he mentioned on BFM tv Sunday.

The authorities says the reform is important to maintain the pension system solvent as France’s life expectancy has grown and beginning charges have declined.

“Our aim is to ensure that in 2030 we have a system that’s financially balanced,” Borne mentioned.

Unions and left-wing events need massive corporations or wealthier households to pitch in additional to steadiness the pension finances as a substitute.

Borne prompt openness to changes on how the reform addresses time that individuals take out of their careers to bear youngsters or pursue schooling. The plan’s critics say girls are unfairly focused; Borne disagreed, however mentioned, “We are in the process of analyzing the situation.”

The invoice goes to a parliamentary fee on Monday, and to a full debate within the National Assembly on Feb. 6. Opponents have submitted 7,000 proposed amendments that can additional complicate the controversy.