[ad_1]
A national strike is taking place in France after President Emmanuel Macron’s circumvention of parliament to pass the divisive pension bill which would raise the retirement age by two years.
The co-ordinated strikes are expected to cause widespread national chaos, as well as travel disruption to and from France.
French airports will be hit, with Paris Orly airport seeing its schedule of flights reduced by 30% according to the Directorate General for Civil Aviation (DGAC).
Eurostar announced eight of its trains would be suspended as it runs a revised timetable.
French domestic travel will also take a hit. SNCF, France’s state-owned railway company, said to expect severe disruption with reduced TGV, TER and Intercite services.
Paris metro and other modes of public transport will be hit as transport workers take to the picket lines.
The industrial action could become violent, emulating the past few days of demonstrations all over France.
Why are people protesting and striking?
President Macron’s plan to increase the retirement age from 62 to 64 is deeply unpopular.
Opinion polls show the vast majority of voters oppose the pension reforms, as do trade unions, who argue that there are other ways to balance the pension system account.
So as a collective force, workers from the transport, sanitary, refinery, education sectors and beyond have been marching in their respective cities and towns against the bill.
French streets have become lined with overflowing bins, notably in Paris where almost 10,000 tonnes of rubbish remains uncollected.
A woman walks past piles of rubbish bags in Paris
How did Macron push the retirement bill through?
The French president’s current PM, Elisabeth Borne, announced the proposed pension changes on 10 January.
Last week, Mr Macron
[ad_2]
