PARIS: Fresh strikes hit trains, schools and refineries in France on Tuesday over an unpopular pension reform pushed by President Emmanuel Mac­ron, as opponents took to the streets for a day of protests.

The third day of union-backed demonstrations since January 19 was set to test momentum for the protest movement that has vowed to block Macron’s bid to raise the retirement age.

There were tensions in the western city of Nantes where protesters clashed with security forces who used tear gas pellets, an AFP photographer said. Hard-left leader Jean-Luc Melenchon said Macron had to take account of the mobilisation on the streets.

“Unless he has become completely authoritarian, you need to be reasonable in a democracy,” he said, accusing Macron of trying to start his five-year term with a “show of force”.

Last week’s demonstrations brought out 1.3 million people across the country while a first round on January 19 drew 1.1m protesters, according to the police. A security source told AFP that between 900,000 and 1.1m people were expected on Tuesday.

Lawmakers began deb­ating the reform, which would see the age for a full pension raised from 62 to 64 and the mandatory number of years of work extended for a full pension, during a stormy session in parliament on Monday.

The head of the hardline CGT union, Philippe Mar­tinez, warned that more “numerous, massive and rolling” strikes were coming if the government did not drop the plan.

Published in Dawn, February 8th, 2023