France is bracing for nationwide protests and strikes over Macron’s proposed pension reforms

The French government said it will not budge on its plan to raise the retirement age to 64 ahead of nationwide strikes and protests scheduled for Tuesday.

Currently, workers in France can start collecting their pension at age 62. But the government of President Emmanuel Macron wants to raise the retirement age to 64 by 2030.

Postponing the amendment “is no longer negotiable,” Prime Minister Elizabeth Borne warned on Monday.

There may be room for compromise in some areas, however, as parliamentary committees began examining the draft legislation on Monday.

Macron promised he would introduce the measure before being re-elected in April 2022, but opposition to the move has become stronger than ever after some 1.1 million people marched through French cities and towns on January 19, driving travel nationally to came to a standstill.

Macron’s left-wing opponents have also criticized the move, submitting more than 6,000 amendments to the bill in hopes of delaying the measure.

According to statistics, the January 19 rallies were the largest demonstrations in the territory since former President Nicolas Sarkozy enacted the latest round of pension reforms in 2010.

Unions said they want the legislation abolished and mobilized professionals in education, transport and manufacturing industries, among others, ahead of Tuesday’s strikes. They have warned that there will be further interruptions.

France has one of the lowest retirement ages in all major European economies.

Rail operator RATP said most Paris metro and suburban train services will be affected on Tuesday and run on a minimal service.

Competitor SNCF said only one in three TGV high-speed trains will run on Tuesday, while disruptions are also expected at French airports and on transnational train services.