Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
Lebanese Ministry of Health: Final toll from airstrike on car in Zebdine, Nabatieh District: Two martyrs, four injured
Egyptian media: Indirect talks between Hamas and Israelis begin in Sharm el-Sheikh.
AFP: France's new PM Sebastein Lecornu resigns just hours after unveiling cabinet.
Trump: Technical teams will meet again on Monday in Egypt to discuss and clarify the final details, and the first phase is scheduled to be completed this week
US President Donald Trump: Talks with Hamas have been very successful and are moving at a rapid pace
Local sources in Aleppo: Violent clashes erupt between the SDF and factions affiliated with the transitional authority on the Deir Hafer and Tishrin Dam fronts in the eastern Aleppo countryside
Israeli media: Interceptor missiles fired in an attempt to shoot down the drone
IOF Spokesperson: Sirens sounded amid suspected "enemy aircraft" infiltrating the Eilat area
Israeli media: "Israel" won the battle but lost the war strategically and politically
Israeli media: Ben Gurion Airport's airspace closed to air traffic following missile launch from Yemen

French pension talks end in 'failure' ahead of new protests

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: Agencies
  • 5 Apr 2023 16:48
3 Min Read

Union chiefs call on French people to take to the streets and strike en masse on Thursday during an 11th day of nationwide action against the bill.

  • x
  • Inter-unions representatives and PM Elisabeth Borne pose prior to talks at Hotel de Matignon in Paris, France, 5 April 2023. (Reuters)
    Inter-unions representatives and PM Elisabeth Borne pose prior to talks at Hotel de Matignon in Paris, France, 5 April 2023. (Reuters)

Last-ditch discussions between French trade unions and the country’s Prime Minister have failed to reach a "democratic" outcome, the unions said on Wednesday.

French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne’s pension reform bill that raised the minimum retirement age from 62 to 64 has angered workers across France and prompted them to take to the streets.

Union representatives attempted to convince Borne to repeal the decision that she took on March 16. However, the premier insisted on the implementation of the decision and refused to discuss the matter.

Both parties have refused to settle on a middle ground as the trade unions previously threatened that they would storm out of the meeting if Borne did not discuss revoking her decision.

Cyril Chabanier, who spoke on behalf of the eight trade unions, said, "It’s clearly a failure when the Prime Minister would not even entertain that discussion."

This is the first time that both sides meet since the controversial decision came out in January.

#France is undergoing turmoil as demonstrations and strikes erupt across the country over the government's proposed #PensionReform law, which has been met with strong opposition and led to the shuttering of services, blocked roads, and widespread #protests amidst a heavy security… pic.twitter.com/OIdii8yRua

— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) March 24, 2023

"We again told the prime minister that the only democratic outcome could be the text's withdrawal. The prime minister replied that she wished to maintain the text, a grave decision," he added.

Union chiefs called for French people to take to the streets and strike en masse on Thursday during an 11th day of nationwide action against the bill.

Sophie Binet, leader of the CGT trade union, called for further protests and strikes, saying, "We have to continue mobilizing until the end until the government understands there is no way out other than withdrawing this reform."

"We can't move on to anything else until this reform is repealed."

Related News

Poll: 91% of French want rioters banned from future protests

Macron and Starmer to lead Paris talks on 'Coalition of the Willing'

Nearly a thousand protesters have been detained in #France in light of overwhelming demonstrations that have been erupting all across the country since late January due to the government's controversial pension reform which was passed without a vote from #Parliament on March 16. pic.twitter.com/AO1lEzas3n

— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) March 22, 2023

Thursday's protest comes ahead of the country's Constitutional Council giving its final say on the pension changes on April 14, the last step before they are signed into law.

"We are experiencing a grave democratic crisis," said Laurent Berger, head of the centrist CFDT union.

"We call on the wisdom of the constitutional council... Our democracy needs appeasement, and this appeasement would be for the text not to be applied," he said.

Macron is on a visit to China for the rest of the week, where an aide denied there was a "democratic crisis" in France despite the failure of the meeting.

"You can't speak of a democratic crisis when the bill has been enacted, explained to the public and the government is taking responsibility for it," said the aide, asking not to be named.

The government has argued that the changes are necessary to prevent the pensions system from plunging into deficit.

Critics say the pensions reform is unfair to workers in tough jobs who start their careers early, as well as women who interrupt their work life to raise children.

Protests since January have largely been peaceful, but spontaneous rallies since March 16 have sparked clashes between protesters and police.

Rights groups have accused the police of disproportionate use of force in handling the unrest, but the Interior Minister has claimed that security forces were responding to "far-left" radicals.

A record of more than 1.2 million people marched against the reform nationwide on March 7, according to official figures.

Read more: Clashes erupt amid Frances anti-pension reform protests.

  • Paris
  • Elisabeth Borne
  • France
  • pension reform
  • French trade unions

Most Read

Hamas fighters stand in formation ahead of a ceremony to hand over Israeli captives to the Red Cross in Nuseirat, Gaza Strip, Feb. 22, 2025. (AP)

Hamas reviews Trump’s Gaza ceasefire plan as PIJ rejects

  • Palestine
  • 30 Sep 2025
Iraq at a crossroads: A new war front?

Iraq at a crossroads: A new war front?

  • West Asia
  • 30 Sep 2025
A Hamas fighter in combat fatigues stands before the ceremony for the handover of Israeli captives to the Red Cross in Nuseirat, central Gaza Strip, Saturday, February 22, 2025 (AP)

Hamas responds to Trump plan, backs Gaza withdrawal, exchange

  • Politics
  • 3 Oct 2025
Tucker Carlson speaks at a memorial for Charlie Kirk, Sunday, September 21, 2025, at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona (AP)

Tucker Carlson: Israeli officers gave orders on Iran inside Pentagon

  • Politics
  • 2 Oct 2025

Coverage

All
War on Gaza

Read Next

All
Hezbollah's representative in Iran, Sayyed Abdullah Safieddine, during an interview with Al Mayadeen which aired on October 6, 2025 (Al Mayadeen)
Politics

Tehran never interferes in Hezbollah decisions: Representative in Iran

Smoke billows over the Gaza Strip following an Israeli bombardment, as seen from southern Palestine, Sunday, Oct. 5, 2025. (AP)
Politics

Indirect talks for a ceasefire in Gaza begin in Sharm El-Sheikh: Egypt

Fighters from the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) prepare to attend a military parad in Qamishli, northeastern Syria, Tuesday, August 12, 2025 (AP)
Politics

Security forces seal Aleppo’s Sheikh Maqsoud, Ashrafieh districts

Amsterdam Captain Mohammed Ali Mohiuddin, who took part in the Global Sumud mission to Gaza, talks to Al Mayadeen on October 6, 2025 (Screengrab)
Politics

GSF captain says despite abuse, 'Israel weaker than spider's web'

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS