France: Culture Wars: les Pensions 60 ou 62?

This info, blockquoted below, comes from BBC News Europe, (Oct2,2k10)

2 October 2010 Last updated at 13:52 ET Share this page Facebook TwitterShareEmailPrint

French hold a third day of protest against pension reform

[See refWr+t page1

French hold fresh pension protest

Hundreds of thousands of people across France have taken to the streets to demonstrate against President Nicolas Sarkozy's plans to raise the retirement age, according to police figures.

More than 200 protests were planned throughout the country.

It is the third day of demonstrations against the proposed reforms, which go before parliament on Tuesday, in the last month.

The government wants the retirement age to rise from 60 to 62.

President Sarkozy says this is essential if the French pension system is to be viable in the long term.

His opponents say society's poorest people will be hit hardest by the changes.

In pictures:

French pension strikes

France's bitter war over pensions

French horror at 'Anglo-Saxon' reforms

Trade unions in France are proclaiming a success their day of mobilisation against planned reforms of the pension system, says the BBC's Hugh Schofield in Paris.

They say nearly three million people - about the same as the previous protest on 23 September - turned out in demonstrations across the country.

The first protest over pensions was on 6 September.

However the interior ministry, using police estimates, says turnout was down, at less than one million on Saturday.

These were the first demonstrations to take place on a non-working day, a change reflected in the make-up of the crowds, with many women and families taking part for the first time, our correspondent says.

The pension reform bill, which has already been passed by France's lower house of parliament, will be debated from 5 October by the upper house, the Senate, where it is expected to pass comfortably.

Controversial proposals

Hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets in a third day of protests

French workers can expect to spend more of their life in retirement than those in any other country, according to figures from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

Under current rules, both men and women in France can retire at 60, provided they have paid social security contributions for 40.5 years - although they are not entitled to a full pension until they are 65.

The government says it will save 70bn euros (£58bn) by raising the retirement age to 62 by 2018, the qualification to 41.5 years, and the pension age to 67.

Unions and opposition politicians say the plan puts an unfair burden on workers, particularly women, part-timers and the former unemployed who may struggle to hit the 41.5 year requirement.

[Leftwing unions] have made counter-proposals, including calls for taxes on certain bonuses and on the highest incomes to help fund the pension system.

Features and Analysis

France's bitter war over pensions

The French are some of the strongest fighters
when it comes to resisting worsening pension
rights - but even here change is inevitable.

Sinking of the Bismarck legacy

Lost pension hopes in DR Congo

In pictures: Retirement in Vietnam
The global pensions conundrum
China's pensions in crisis waltz
When retirement takes you by surprise
What retirement means to you
Key News Stories

Pension rallies hit French cities
Greece overhauls pension laws Watch
Mouskouri offers Greece pension
Ageing 'a problem for councils'
Watch/Listen

Salesman still enjoys work at 71 Watch
Mauricio Soliano is a 71-year old salesman
who has worked at a Singapore department
store for more than four decades.

The world's first state pension Watch
China lacking carers for elderly Watch
Related stories

In pictures: French pension strikes 23 SEPTEMBER 2010, EUROPE
France's bitter war over pensions 13 SEPTEMBER 2010, BUSINESS
French horror at 'Anglo-Saxon' reforms 11 SEPTEMBER 2010, FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT
The global pensions conundrum 14 SEPTEMBER 2010, BUSINESS
France passes pension reform bill 15 SEPTEMBER 2010, EUROPE
From other news sites

Yahoo! UK and Ireland
French unions keep up pressure with latest pension protest
56 mins ago
Reuters UK
UPDATE 3-Students and families join French pension protests
2 hrs ago
Daily Express
French pension protest on streets
2 hrs ago
France24
FRANCE: French unions hail protests as a success but government says numbers are "down"
2 hrs ago
Business Reports
Students, families to join French pension protests
10 hrs ago
About these results
Related Internet links

CGT trade union (French Communist-led)
President of France
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external Internet sites