FRENCH UNIONS voted yesterday to extend their strikes over the government’s pension reform plans, with trains disrupted and blockades halting fuel transport from eight of 12 refineries.
However, a day after nationwide protests attracted the largest crowds so far in the unions’ campaign, President Nicolas Sarkozy said he would push the reform “right to the end”.
“Irrespective of the difficulties in putting in place such a major reform, the government must, in the common interest, continue with determination and sang froid,” spokesman Luc Chatel quoted Mr Sarkozy telling yesterday’s cabinet meeting.
The pensions Bill is currently being debated in the upper house, where two of its most contentious elements – a rise in the minimum retirement age from 60 to 62 and in the age at which one can receive a full state pension from 65 to 67 – have already been approved.
However, after three days of strikes and protests in the past month, unions have this week escalated their campaign with a series of daily votes on rolling strikes.
Organisers estimated that some 3.5 million people took to the streets across France on Tuesday for the fourth day of protest in a month. The police put the turnout at 1.2 million.
The Paris metro and regional train network were affected by mild disruptions yesterday, while the state railway company SNCF said a quarter of staff stopped working.
The powerful CGT union said yesterday that of the half of its local sections which had voted on extending the strike to today, all had agreed to the prolongation.
Ministers acknowledged that the unions’ campaign did not appear to be ebbing but refused to back down on the reforms.
“I’m not denying there were a lot of people in the streets but at the same time what can we do? Not reform the pension system?” labour minister Eric Woerth told RTL radio.
With workers having halted the transport of fuel from eight of France’s 12 refineries yesterday, oil industry groups warned that French petrol stations could begin to run low by next week. Television reported some people in southern France were starting to hoard fuel.
Union leaders, buoyed by Tuesday’s turnout, have called another march for Saturday, and warned that the strikes may continue. “If we get past the weekend we will not stop,” said Bruno Duchemin, general secretary of the FGAAC-CFDT rail workers’ union.
The escalating dispute has added to tensions between the government and the opposition Socialist Party, which has supported the protesters.
Ministers yesterday described as “shocking” and “deeply irresponsible” a call from a prominent socialist Ségolène Royal for young people – whose involvement in greater numbers on Tuesday swelled the turnout – to “descend on the street”.
“I find it extremely shocking that a political figure like Madame Royal is calling for secondary school pupils to skip school,” said higher education minister Valérie Pécresse.