After talks between the government and unions broke down, France braced for another day of demonstrations and strikes on Thursday to oppose President Emmanuel Macron’s pension reform.
There are indications that the two-and-a-half-month-long protest movement is losing steam, and unions will be hoping for a large turnout on the 11th day of action since January.
The verdict on the reform from France’s Constitutional Council, which has the authority to strike down some or all of the law, is expected on April 14.
Macron, who is presently in China, is facing the most difficult challenge of his second term over his flagship pension overhaul, which involves raising the minimum retirement age from 62 to 64.
Protests turned violent after Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne used a controversial executive power to force the measure through parliament without a vote on March 16.
Unions said a meeting with Borne on Wednesday made no headway because she refused to discuss raising the retirement age to 64.
“It’s clearly a failure when the prime minister won’t even allow a way into that discussion,” said Cyril Chabanier, speaking on behalf of the country’s eight main unions after they walked out barely an hour into the talks.
It was the first such gathering between the two sides since the government presented the contentious pensions bill in January.
Despite refusing to budge on the issue, Borne said she would not move forward with any other labour topics “without social partners”.
