Demonstrations to continue weekend strike in France

By Cindi Cook

PARIS (AA) - Protesters will mobilize Saturday and Sunday against the Macron government's planned reform of the national pension system.

The shutdown of much of the metro lines, buses and commuter rail has been the focus of the SNCF and RATP unions, and their actions have crippled not only Paris but towns and villages countrywide.

Union leaders met with Prime Minister Édourd Philippe and other officials Friday but both sides failed to reach a compromise, one that French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said Monday had "never been so close."

"Our determination remains absolute," announced FO union chief Yves Veyrier following on the meeting with Philippe and other officials.

On the table was discussion of the critical issue kd raising the retirement age to 64 from 62, which the unions are adamantly against.

Government officials profess the move has been proposed in the face of pension deficits that need to be capped.
Following mobilization Thursday, where thousands flooded the streets -- estimates by the Ministry of the Interior put the number at 452,000 -- in Paris and dozens of French cities, union members have stayed resilient and plan to make repeat performances over the weekend as well as Tuesday, with another day of collective mobilization.

The inter-union supporting the strike is comprised of the SNCF, RATP, as well as the FSU, FO, CFE-CGC, Solidaires, and CGT, collectively covering professions from banking to labor.

Indeed, each has information at the ready for strikers, or supporters, on their respective homepages: The SNCF offers a transport plan, strike forms, and traffic info, even "free co-working spaces at the station." The CGT site has a map of mobilizations to conveniently find nearby protests.
The current strike will entered week six Wednesday. It is the longest strike in France in half a century. Saturday will mark day 38.