France Strike: 500 Kilometers Of Traffic Jams Due To Protests

France strike: Paris sees 500 kilometers of traffic jams amid protests

Silvia Amaro @SILVIA_AMARO

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• There were traffic lines totalling more than 500 kilometers (310 miles) getting into the French capital Monday morning, twice as long as the usual traffic jam.
• The Parisian metro had only 2 out of 16 lines fully working and the national railway company SNCF also warned against severe disruptions in the suburbs of Paris.

TOPSHOT - Vehicles run on the Paris’ ring road, the “Peripherique”, on December 9, 2019 in Porte de Vincennes in Paris, during a strike of Paris public transports over French government’s plan to overhaul the country’s retirement system, as part of a national strike.

French commuters experienced a chaotic journey getting to work on Monday as public sector workers entered a fifth consecutive day of nationwide strikes.

The traffic lines totalled more than 500 kilometers (310 miles) getting into the French capital Monday morning, twice as long as the usual number; the Parisian metro had only 2 out of 16 lines fully working, and the national railway company also warned against severe disruptions in the suburbs of Paris.

Nationwide, public sector workers have protested against government plans to update the pension system since Thursday. The strike has led to the closure of certain schools, cancellation of flights and a downturn in tourism and Christmas retail.

Monday starts a make-it-or-break-it week for the French government, according to different French media. The French government is due to unveil the outcome of consultations carried over the last months on Monday and to announce the final details of its pension reform plan on Wednesday.

President Emmanuel Macron vowed in 2017 to change France’s pension system, which is one of the most expensive across the world, according to data from the OECD.

Macron wants to implement a single, points-based system. This would replace the current 42 different pension plans that vary according to profession and region, which means some workers are currently entitled to a full pension before the minimum retirement age of 62. The proposed system aims to make pensioners contribute the same amount and give them equal rights.