Retirement reforms - France

[Blaze]

Elisabeth Borne has officially declenched the 49.3, thus forcing through the reforms
https://www.bfmtv.com/economie/economie ... 0032.htmlv

I somehow doubt that's going to stop all the strike action. Rennes was completely cut off this morning, with every entry/exit from the rocade blocked.
Watch this space !
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-64967516

Philippe Martinez of the hard-line CGT warned that protests would carry on whether the government won the vote or used the constitution to ram the reforms through.

Great, so PM thinks the unions should run the country ....

[Hotrodder]

Better the unions than the fascists like in UK.

[niemeyjt]

Better the unions than the fascists like in UK.

Nice rhetoric - but UK pension ages were increased in the Pensions Act 2007

see: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pensions_Act_2007 (esp bullet 6)

Remind me, who was the PM (or who were the PMs - there's a clue) in 2007.

[Blaze]

All this whining and manifesting by the French, it's pathetic ! Macron didn't get re-elected in 2022 by magic, the French voted for him !!
And, guess what, in his manifesto for the 2022 elections, he proposed moving the retirement age to 65. So what are they complaining about ?

From Le Monde, 10 March 2022
ÉLECTION PRÉSIDENTIELLE 2022
EMMANUEL MACRON
Emmanuel Macron propose de reporter l’âge de la retraite à 65 ans s’il est réélu
Tout juste candidat à l’élection présidentielle, le chef de l’Etat sortant veut que les Français travaillent plus longtemps. Le processus devrait s’étaler jusqu’en 2033 avec des dérogations dans plusieurs situations.

[niemeyjt]

But as I recall they were voting AGAINST the other candidate not FOR him. Previously, voting against someone ended up with the 5th Republic's worst President in the form of Francois Hollande.

[Blaze]

But as I recall they were voting AGAINST the other candidate not FOR him.

Sorry J, that's irrelevant, but it is one of the problems of their voting system. Whatever their reason, they still voted for him and should assume their choice.
The 49.3 thing could be considered undemocratic, but upping the retirement was in his manifesto.

What would be interesting, would be knowing who the French voted for in the first round .....

[MAD87]

The syndicats are pathetic! They don't understand dialogue, nor do they understand the right to strike. The fact is that 4 in 10 will retire before 64 anyway - some long before - with pensions that Brits would be very happy with.

If all employers would stop financing strikers, it would soon end. And it's about time that the taxpayer stopped funding unions.

The government isn't faultless either - despite all its spokesmen/women, it needs to keep reminding ordinary folk why the system has to be tweaked.

[Blaze]

+ 1 Mad.

The younger manifestants seem to have overlooked the fact that if something isn't done to reform the pension system, there'll be nothing left in the pot by the time they retire.
I still think the government should put a ceiling on state pensions, but can you imagine the outcry ??

[Niftyons]

What a surprise that the BBC are promoting such information.

I wonder what the outcome would be if private pensions were delegitimised ?

[Blaze]

What a surprise that the BBC are promoting such information

Probably to deflect from the problems in the UK !

I wonder what the outcome would be if private pensions were delegitimised ?

There was a time in France when private pensions didn't exist and I'm not sure whether it was legal to make such arrangements in France. I believe individual ones were allowed via a caisse d'épargne in 2004 and that Fillon set up company pensions in about 2006.