France: Pension plan details inflame strike ⁰

France’s general strike reached its eight day, and appears stronger than ever.

Yesterday the administration of President Emmanuel Macron finally revealed the details of their globally-unprecedented, one-size-fits-all pension plan – which includes a 2 year hike to the retirement age.

The reception was near-universal rejection, with even conservative unions vowing to finally join the strikes.

Nationwide protests were immediately called, and day eight saw more of the same public transport chaos, energy shortages, school closings, worker shutdowns, grounded airplanes and now blockades of key maritime ports.

Businesses in urban centers are down 15-30%, but it’s the small businessman who has been the most hurt. Many believe that Macron will only compromise if a general strike reduces the profits of the owner class and high finance.

Many want the pension rollback totally withdrawn, now that the unpopular, right-wing details are finally known, and few understand why the system must be scrapped entirely.

The rollback is not being openly forced by Brussels, unlike many similar austerity policies, but in a rare comment today Macron admitted he was ‘advancing our European agenda’.

The slogan of the general strike has become ‘(Choose) A few weeks of chaos or years of misery’. A key rail workers union has declared, ‘There will be no truce for Christmas,’ meaning that France’s General Strike will almost certainly reach the level of 1995’s massive labor victory.

Source: Presstv