French Opinion on Retirement Reforms

Protests over retirement reforms to raise the minimum retirement age from 60 to 62 and the maximum retirement age to from 65 to 67 have been gaining momentum as the date to vote on the bill draws near. According to recent polls, 70 percent of French people object to the reforms. Indeed, most of the people I have talked to, from musicians to engineers to business executives, have expressed their opposition. 

Strikers explained to me that French people have to work a certain number of terms in order to qualify for a full pension. With the new reforms, this number has risen to from 40 to 42 years. This means that if people spend more time in University completing Master or Doctorate degrees before entering the work force, they may have to wait until 67 in order to receive their full pension. The protesters are also concerned that people who begin working at very early ages or who have physically demanding jobs will be forced to retire at 62 instead of 60.

As well, Government officials tend to get significantly better pensions and are able to retire much earlier. For example, SNCF workers (Railway Transportation) are able to retire at 57 on a full pension. In the public sector, the pension a person receives is a percentage of their salary based on their last six months of work. In the private sector, pensions are based on the best 25 years of a person's career.

In a country where striking has been referred to as the national sport, the protesters are not giving up without a fight. Parents even bring their children to  protests, instilling in them early the culture of striking. They bear signs that read: “I am 11 years old. I’d better start working now if I want to get a full pension” and “By the time I retire, I won’t remember how old I am.”

However, some people also recognize the need for the reforms. A engineer told me: “Of course we don’t want to retire later, but maybe we need to face the truth that it is necessary.” France’s National Debt is staggering and life expectancy is increasing. With a predicted ratio of two working people for every retired person in the years to come, the Government will be hard-pressed to find the funds to support  its growing number of retirees. 

A Retrospective on the Riots

Photo by M. Cosgrove, Lyon

Earlier this week, protests against retirement reforms took a violent turn, especially in Lyon. Groups of teens known as “les casseurs” (literally translated as “the breakers”) took to the streets to carry out their very own protests, which involved damaging property, and more specifically: burning cars, breaking store windows, and walking out with TV sets and video game consoles.

According to Metro Lyon, a Saleswoman whose shop had been broken into was casually asked where the accompanying controller to a PS3 console could be found.

In the centre of town, roads were blocked off, a helicopter flew over-head, and police patrolled in large groups, equipped with shields, helmets, gas, batons, and guns with rubber bullets. Some 290 youths were arrested.

The general opinion among the French public seems to be that "les casseurs" are misguided youths, who, as one peaceful protester put it, "found a good excuse to skip class and break things." Numerous other peaceful protesters expressed that they were ashamed of recent political events and the attention they received in international news.

However, many of the teens protested and continue to protest in a peaceful fashion. They have a valid concern that young adults may suffer unemployment in the years to come. The logic is that there will be less available jobs for youths since older people will be staying in the workforce for longer periods of time.

Several unions and socialist politicians have been heavily criticized for inciting these youths to do what some say they did not have the courage to do themselves. According to Digital Journal, Ségolène Royal, socialist candidate for the 2007 presidential election, stated that adolescents are capable of thinking for themselves and that she had asked them to protest peacefully.

Retirement Reform Buzz

Protests over retirement reforms in France have recently taken the spotlight in international news. French news reports are comparing the current political climate to the uproar caused by the 1995 strikes under the Chirac administration.

The Government's plan to raise the minimum retirement age from 60-62, and the maximum retirement age from 65-67, has not been well received by the public. Sarkozy remains adamant that this reform is necessary to help reduce public spending, especially in light of the growing National debt and increasing life-expectancy.

The National Assembly is expected to vote on the reforms on Wednesday of next week. As the date approaches, protesters and unions, notably in the Energy and Transportation sectors, rally together. Millions of people from both private and public divisions, as well as High School students, have taken to the streets.

Transportation has been heavily disrupted, and half of all national and regional trains have been cancelled or delayed. However, flights from Roissy and Orly Airports appear to be running on schedule.

Oil refineries are on strike and 1 in 4 petrol stations have run dry. With the half-term school holidays just around the corner, people are rushing to petrol stations to fuel up.

Earlier this week, groups of teenage protesters began rioting, burning cars and looting shops, most noticeably in Lyon. The downtown district of Lyon has been blocked off by police since Tuesday, and metro lines no longer run through this area of the city. Some 290 youths have been arrested.

The country is gearing up for another few weeks of strikes. Official protests have been organized for October 28 and November 6.