More Than 1-M French Workers Slam Raising Of Retirement Age

Strikes disrupted train services, flights, schools and businesses in France as more than one million people protested against the government’s plans to raise the retirement age for most workers, Joseph Ataman, Marguerite Lacroix and Hannah Ziady reported for CNN.

Photo Insert: In Paris, small groups of demonstrators threw bottles, rocks and fireworks at riot police.

Protests in major French cities, including Paris, Marseille, Toulouse, Nantes and Nice, brought many transport services to a standstill. The Eiffel Tower was closed to visitors.

France’s Interior Ministry said more than a million people took to the streets across the country, including 80,000 in Paris, where small groups of demonstrators threw bottles, rocks and fireworks at riot police.

Eight of the biggest unions took part in the industrial action against pension reforms unveiled by President Emmanuel Macron’s government.

The unions have called for another day of action on January 31 against legislation that will require French citizens to work until 64, from 62 currently, to qualify for a full state pension.

The French government has said this is necessary to tackle a pension funding deficit, but the reforms have angered workers at a time when living costs are rising. Teachers and transport workers were among those who did not report for work.

More than 40% of primary school teachers and more than one-third of high school teachers went on strike, according to France’s education ministry.

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