Activistes protesting a French pension law: The 10th day of protests against the government plan to raise the retirement age for most workers
The French will face disruptions in schools, airports and trains again on Tuesday, as labor unions protest against government plans to raise the retirement age for most workers.
Charles de Gaulle and Orly airports in Paris have been asked by France’s civil aviation authority to reduce flights by 20% and 30%. Air France said that about 20% of short-haul flights would be canceled. The airline cautioned, however, that “last-minute delays and cancellations cannot be ruled out.”
National railway operator SNCF said very few regional trains would operate and that four out of five trains on the TGV, France’s intercity high-speed rail service, would be canceled.
The secretary general of the CGT, the biggest French union, said in an interview with Le Journal du Dimanche that unions are moving up a gear, and that they were going to grow even more until the government listens to workers.
Tuesday was the 10th day of action against French President Emmanuel Macron’s proposal to raise the retirement age for most workers from 62 to 64, in a move that has riled opposition lawmakers and trade unions.
On January 19 of this year, more than one million people took to the street in demonstrations that caused the country to be shut down.
The pension legislation has angered workers at a time when living costs are rising and the government claims it is necessary to tackle a funding deficit.
If there is no support from opposition lawmakers, Macron’s government could turn to Article 49.3 of the French constitution, a mechanism it has used several times already to push through budget-related bills without putting them to a parliamentary vote.
CNN Observation of an Anti-Pension Reform Protest inside the Airport Complex at Biarritz Airport (Parisirtz)
Blocking airports has been a tactic used by anti-pension reform protesters nationwide, with terminal 1 at Charles de Gaulle airport, just north of Paris, also being cut off on Thursday morning.
Videos on social media verified by CNN show smoke bombs being let off by protesters outside the entrance of Biarritz Airport, and the boarding area of the terminal, before an evacuation announcement sounded over the speakers.
The CGT Departmental Union of Pyrénées-atlantiques and the Fédération syndicale unitaire can be seen in the footage, as well as a local Basquec trade union and two national associations.
The FSU – which streamed a live video from Tuesday’s protest inside the airport – is one of France’s main trade unions in its education sector, representing “162,000 members, of whom 88% are teachers,” according to its website.
CNN has attempted to contact both the FSU and CGT and cannot independently confirm how many people were present at the airport protest or how the event unfolded.