(Newswire.net — December 20, 2019) — During the strike against the pension system reforms that took place at the National Square in Paris on December 17, police continued to throw tear gas and shock bombs at protesters, and clashes with firefighters who side protesters, Reuters reports.
Now the firefighting brigade has joined the protesters but the police continue throwing tear gas at the crowd who chanted “Firefighters are with us.”
The French government has begun negotiations with trade unions on possible changes to the pension reform bill that prompted two-week strikes and demonstrations.
President Emanuel Macron has asked his government to negotiate with the unions.
French Prime Minister Édouard Philippe met separately with union leaders and employers to try to find a way out of the crisis that has largely paralyzed public transport. He talked with the union about potential amendments to the reform package that would ease the tension. However, the General Confederation of Labour (SGT) said after the meeting they have two separate perspectives on the conflict, not sharing the same values.
Still, the government is trying to come to an agreement with more moderate unions, which the French President Macron hopes could be discounted.
From anonymous sources close to Macron, the AP news agency has learned that the president does not want to give up reforms, but that he “wants to upgrade them.”
A new round of negotiations has been announced for Thursday.
The compromise that Macron envisions would be in relation to the retirement age, which is currently projected to be 64 years from 2027, instead of the current 62. The reason for such a move is to balance out the pension fund. Employees who would retire early would be deducted points while those who would retire later would receive a bonus.
For unions, however, the age limit is the “red line” they do not want to cross.
The aim of President Macron was to pause the protests before Christmas, but the unions leading the protests are rejecting a “truce” during the season holidays.
The general strike began on December 5 because the reform of the pension system, insisted on by French President Emanuel Macron, deprives some categories of French citizens of the privileges they have enjoyed so far. Prime Minister Edouard Philip introduced the reform a few days ago and announced that the bill would be presented to lawmakers in February next year.