French PM offers concession to unions over pension reform

[rooster59]

French PM offers concession to unions over pension reform

 

A protester holds a stone during a demonstration of French labour union members and workers, as France faces its 38th consecutive day of strike against French government's pensions reform plans, in Paris, France January 11, 2020. REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes

 

PARIS (Reuters) - French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe on Saturday offered a major concession to unions contesting his government's overhaul of the pension system, in a move aimed at ending strikes which are now in their fifth week.

 

Philippe said in a letter to unions and employers that he was prepared to withdraw plans to raise the retirement age for full pension benefits by two years to 64 if certain conditions were met.

 

"The compromise that I'm offering ... seems to me the best way to peacefully reform our retirement system," Philippe said in a copy of the letter obtained by Reuters.

 

He made the concession after talks between the government and trade unions to break the deadlock failed on Friday.

The CFDT, France's biggest union which is inclined to accept a limited reform, welcomed the move, saying in a statement that it showed "the government's will to find a compromise".

 

But the hardline CGT union, which wants the reform dropped altogether, rejected the offer and called on workers to participate in a series of protests planned for next week.

 

The government's concession comes as tens of thousands of demonstrators marched through eastern Paris against the reform, which aims to replace France's myriad sector-specific pension schemes with a single points-based scheme.

 

The protest turned violent on its fringes with police firing tear gas and charging groups smashing windows and lighting rubbish bins and billboards on fire.

 

The government's standoff with the unions is the biggest challenge yet of President Emmanuel Macron's will to reform the euro zone's second-biggest economy.

 

Philippe's government had hoped to create incentives to make people work longer, notably by raising the age at which a person could draw a full pension to 64 while maintaining the legal retirement age at 62.

 

The government has argued that the pension reform, which would be the biggest since World War II, would make the system fairer while also putting it on a more sound financial footing.

 

With one of the lowest retirement ages among industrialised nations, France currently spends the equivalent of 14% of economic output on pensions.

 

Philippe aims to present the reform bill on Jan. 24 so that it can be discussed in parliament starting in mid February with the aim of passing a law before the summer break.

 

He said in the letter he expected unions and employers to agree on how to ensure the long-term financing of the pensions system in April. If they failed to agree, the government would pass decrees guaranteeing the pension system is in the black by 2027, he added.

 

The CGT said that was simply a tactic to impose a higher retirement age as unions and employers were unlikely to find an agreement.

 

(Reporting by Caroline Paillez, Noemie Olive, Pascale Antonie and Ardee Napolitano; writing by Leigh Thomas; editing by Alexander Smith, Mike Harrison and Clelia Oziel)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-01-12

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[sammieuk1]

I would have thought the French government looked at the UK's Tory policy of stiffing the pensioners with envy unlucky for them they have unions with backbone????

[Chomper Higgot]

44 minutes ago, sammieuk1 said:

I would have thought the French government looked at the UK's Tory policy of stiffing the pensioners with envy unlucky for them they have unions with backbone????

Let’s look at that another way.

 

French worker’s have seen how the UK Government has stiffed British worker’s, and then used their collective power in unions to fight back and protect their rights.

[kingdong]

20 minutes ago, Chomper Higgot said:

Let’s look at that another way.

 

French worker’s have seen how the UK Government has stiffed British worker’s, and then used their collective power in unions to fight back and protect their rights.

It would appear the gold plated index linked retire at 50 with a large payment, pensions inare extinct unless one worked for the government,then you cop it subsidised by the ratepayers of the uk,and if you can,t afford it you are put in prison.Thatcher bought out a raft of draconian anti union laws that were not rescinded in the next 3 terms of Labour with lionel,sorry Tony Blair proudly stating we,'re not going back to the dark days of mass pickets,pity the slag didn,t recollect how the union's financed his financially ( and as it turned out ) morally bankrupt party.

[kingdong]

1 hour ago, sammieuk1 said:

I would have thought the French government looked at the UK's Tory policy of stiffing the pensioners with envy unlucky for them they have unions with backbone????

And what union in Britain has got the power to go on strike to any effect?thanks to the European union and freedom of movement there's a glut of cheap Labour willing to walk through a picket line.

[Chomper Higgot]

19 minutes ago, kingdong said:

It would appear the gold plated index linked retire at 50 with a large payment, pensions inare extinct unless one worked for the government,then you cop it subsidised by the ratepayers of the uk,and if you can,t afford it you are put in prison.Thatcher bought out a raft of draconian anti union laws that were not rescinded in the next 3 terms of Labour with lionel,sorry Tony Blair proudly stating we,'re not going back to the dark days of mass pickets,pity the slag didn,t recollect how the union's financed his financially ( and as it turned out ) morally bankrupt party.

Nothing like a bit of envy to keep you in your place.

[kingdong]

8 hours ago, Chomper Higgot said:

Nothing like a bit of envy to keep you in your place.

And nothing as condescending as an armchair socialist,stick to your Morris dancing.

[bannork]

6 minutes ago, kingdong said:

And nothing as condescending as an armchair socialist,stick to your Morris dancing.

Morris dancing is a rural activity undertaken by those yearning for ye olde England, i.e Brexiteers.

Champagne socialists, on the other hand, are more likely to reside in urban areas, both gentrified and old money areas.

Surely they're more likely to attend community festivals, briefly mingling with neo hippies and leaders of ethnic minorities before retreating to a chic restaurant, only affordable to those earning fat salaries.

[kingdong]

1 minute ago, bannork said:

Morris dancing is a rural activity undertaken by those yearning for ye olde England, i.e Brexiteers.

Champagne socialists, on the other hand, are more likely to reside in urban areas, both gentrified and old money areas.

Surely they're more likely to attend community festivals, briefly mingling with neo hippies and leaders of ethnic minorities before retreating to a chic restaurant, only affordable to those earning fat salaries.

I did say armchair as opposed to champagne socialists,an armchair socialist is one who spouts off about how people should act whilst not willing to get involved,a form of " don,t do as I do,do as I say"chomper  however as well as writing such posts typical of an armchair socialist indulged in Morris dancing,wether it is a form of protest against contemporary society using the medium of dance,who knows?.

[Chomper Higgot]

2 minutes ago, kingdong said:

I did say armchair as opposed to champagne socialists,an armchair socialist is one who spouts off about how people should act whilst not willing to get involved,a form of " don,t do as I do,do as I say"chomper  however as well as writing such posts typical of an armchair socialist indulged in Morris dancing,wether it is a form of protest against contemporary society using the medium of dance,who knows?.

You should perhaps focus on your own pension and perhaps consider learning from French.

[kingdong]

2 minutes ago, Chomper Higgot said:

You should perhaps focus on your own pension and perhaps consider learning from French.

Your concern for me is touching thank you,however I took other plans as opposed to pension so i,m ok financially,and regarding your remark about envy I just begrudge paying over 20% of my rates to prop up government pensions to people didn,t pay enough into their pensions and other people have to make up the shortfall or go to prison.

[Catoholic]

well the good news is that airfare and hotel rates to Paris are at a bargin this year... 

[kingdong]

the working classes don,t need envy to keep them in their plac e Labour has done that.