French Union Calls for Break in Transport Strikes Over Christmas

December 14: France’s CFDT union is opposed to transport strikes over the Christmas period but will call for new actions in January if the government does not drop a pension reform proposal that would encourage more years of work, its leader said on Sunday.

In a major overhaul of its pension scheme, the French government has proposed that people work two years longer to get a full pension, drawing a hostile response from trade unions who said they would step up strike action to force an about-face.

The reform-minded CFDT had stayed out of the strike, which has caused travel chaos [including at ports] across the country since Dec. 5.

Source: Reuters / Sybille de La Hamaide