The majority of the French upper house approved on Thursday the draft pension reform to increase the retirement age from 62 to 64, which caused major protests over the past few months in the country, French media reported. 

The provision on raising the retirement age is now being considered by the parliament after the senate supported it in a 201-115 vote on Thursday night.

Once the Senate considers the draft legislation by March 12, it will be sent to the National assembly for approval.

The Senate vote took place following mass protests and strikes against the decision made by workers from all sectors including energy and transport. As such, French media reported that some regions were left without electricity for several hours. 

Read more: Pressure mounts as anti-pension reform protests continue: France

Back in January, French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne revealed a draft of a pension reform saying that the government plans to raise the retirement age from 62 to 64, a decision to be gradually adopted by the French government in 2023. The government is to add three months a year starting from the first of September of 2023. As such, the retirement age will reach 64 by 2030 comes.

The decision was taken in order to keep the system from going into a deficit. The decision also includes stiffening the requirements for a full pension.

As a result, strikes have taken place, leaving several industries heavily disrupted as people protested the decision in an attempt to overthrow it and prevent it from reaching the French Senate. 

The CGT union said 500,000 people protested in Paris alone, and over 2.5 million nationwide. The French Ministry of Interior claimed that there were 93,000 protesters in Paris.

Citizens have shown their discontent with the decision as French unions are going on strikes in an attempt to drop the reform plan.

Read more: 1.27 - 2.8 million French protesters march against Macron reform plan