French unions protest against new pension reform bill

French trade unions are going on a national strike day today (Thursday) to show their rejection of the newest pension system reform.
While referring to elected officials and billionaires on France 2 television, Philippe Martinez, leader of the CGT, suggested “cutting off their electricity” as a targeted part of the strike. He added that the aim was to “put them in the shoes of the millions of French households currently suffering from energy poverty.”
Announced a week ago, the plan pushes the minimum retirement age back from 62 to 64 by 2030 to “ensure the survival of the system.”
“The number of working people compared to the number of pensioners is falling,” France’s Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne told the National Assembly last week. She insisted the country has no choice but to implement the proposals.
The European Trade Union sent a letter expressing solidarity with French unions, stating that the reform is “an attack on the well-being and aspirations of workers and their families.”