国际英语资讯:No truce for Christmas, more talks on French pension reform in new year_时事

国际英语资讯:No truce for Christmas, more talks on French pension reform in new year

Supporters say the overhaul aims to restore social justice and plug a pension deficit due to stand between 7.9 billion euros (8.75 billion U.S. dollars) and 17.2 billion euros by 2025 if nothing was done. Critics fear citizens will have to work longer while ultimately earning lower pensions.

"This reform has primarily a budget target. The government wants to reduce spending on social protection while we are saying that a modern country must increase its spending on people's well-being, their health and their retirement. These are two opposite social projects," Martineze told France info radio.

Rejecting a truce before Christmas, transport workers on Tuesday staged the 20th day of strike, reducing trains and metro frequencies and stranded millions of French people who used to travel to spend the holiday with their families.

SNCF rail operator said 40 percent of high-speed trains TGV and 20 of intercity trains run. In Paris, six of 16 metro lines are shut with others provided reduced service.

The SNCF announced it had lost 400 million euros in potential earnings so far. Industry associations suffer up to 60 percent of turnover from the same period in 2018, according to local media.

On Monday, CGT chemical branch decided to halt production at Total's Grandpuits oil refinery and petrol depot southeast of Paris. The oil facility, which supplies the capital and the surrounding region, was already producing at minimum capacity.