Transport, education and the energy sector are the sectors where the strike is expected to have a higher impact. The unions have called the country to a halt and expect about one million people to join in the French state. Among other things, trains are in minimum services, some flights have been cancelled at Biarritz airport and the unions have foreseen that in education 60% of teachers have joined the strike.

Workers from the refinery, electricity and gas sectors, waste pickers, chargers, glass and ceramists, among others, are on indefinite strike. French President Emmanuel Macron has announced that CGT will be on the strike “until the reform of the retas is withdrawn”.

The demonstration started at 10:30 in Baiona and the LAB coordinator in Iparralde, Argitxu Dufau, said that “today they have to show more strength”, in statements to Berria journalist Ekhi Erdegi, “They have to listen to our demands, which have not changed: Mac has to abandon retreatment and reform until today.” Between 10,000 and 12,000 people have gathered in Baiona, according to reports Kazeta.eus, citing police sources.

In the afternoon, the appointment is in Donapale (Baja Navarra) at 18:30, convened by the unions FSU, ELB, LAB and Solidaires.

Keys to reform

Pensions are one of the most important reforms of Macron’s mandate. The changes that have led to the anger of citizenship are, among others, the progressive increase in the retirement age from 62 to 64 years until 2030; almost all of the 42 sectors that currently have a special retirement scheme, such as carters, driving meters and senators, will move into the general scheme and will have the retirement conditions for the rest of the professions.

The unions say that “the ones who lose the most” will be women, because they spend part of their working life on care, and the government says they want to offset that inequality with subsidies. In addition, Macron states that the minimum pensions will be EUR 1,200, but in practice it is difficult to do so, as taxes will be higher. Provision is also made for this amount only for workers who have received the minimum wage for a lifetime.

Recent inflation measures

On the eve of the general strike, he announced that the French Government had reached an agreement with large commercial distribution companies, with the launch of the “quarter against inflation”. Supermarkets will choose a range of products and reduce the profit margin of these commodities to sell “as cheap as possible” to citizens. The Finance Minister, Bruno Le Maire, has announced that they will be negotiating the agreement again in June.