The head of France’s CGT union warned the government not to ignore anger over its decision to raise the minimum retirement age as energy-sector workers threaten to cut power at major international events ranging from Formula One racing to the French Open tennis championship.
(Bloomberg) — The head of France’s CGT union warned the government not to ignore anger over its decision to raise the minimum retirement age as energy-sector workers threaten to cut power at major international events ranging from Formula One racing to the French Open tennis championship.
“I think the message is clear: This reform is unjustified from an economic point of view,” Sophie Binet said in an interview on BFM TV on Monday. “And it’s very violent for millions of workers.”
The FNME-CGT union, which represents the energy sector, said on Friday that the Cannes film festival, the Monaco Grand Prix, the Roland-Garros tennis tournament and the Avignon arts festival, which take place in the coming months, “could find themselves in the dark.”
It announced “100 days of anger” in response to President Emmanuel Macron’s pledge to come up with proposals to change labor laws by mid-July in an effort to move past his unpopular pension overhaul, which he signed into law 10 days ago.
“Workers will continue to decide on actions to make themselves heard because this reform is dangerous and scandalous,” Binet added. The FNME-CGT has called for a day of action in the energy sector on May 3.
France’s main unions plan to hold another day of nationwide protests against the increase in the minimum retirement age on the May 1 Labor Day holiday. Macron has said the legislation will take effect in September after the core elements of the reform were approved by France’s Constitutional Council.
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