Protests against pension reform in France took place again on Saturday, in major cities such as Paris, Nice and Toulouse, according to AFP, DPA and Agerpres.

Strikes and protests across FrancePhoto: Lafargue Raphael/ABACA / Shutterstock Editorial / Profimedia

France’s interior ministry said a total of 368,000 people demonstrated across the country on Saturday, including 48,000 in Paris. The figure was down from Tuesday, when 1.28 million people took to the streets in France, according to the ministry.

For its part, the CGT (General Confederation of Labor) union estimated that over a million people demonstrated on Saturday. This is the lowest figure given by the trade union center since the beginning of the social movement, less than the 1.3 million demonstrators on February 16.

Saturday’s demonstrations led to the cancellation and disruption of air and rail services.

The center-right government of President Emmanuel Macron plans to gradually raise the retirement age in France from 62 to 64. In addition, he considers an increase in insurance experience necessary to receive a full pension. His government says these unpopular measures are necessary to strengthen the system for the future.

According to polls, the majority of French people are hostile to this pension reform and the transfer of the statutory retirement age from 62 to 64, considering it “unfair”, especially for women and hard-working workers.

Although the current retirement age is 62, in practice retirement can start years later as those who have not contributed long enough to qualify for a full pension continue to work beyond that age.

At the age of 67, a pension without deductions is assigned, regardless of how many years contributions have been paid. The government intends to maintain this rule.

Under the reforms, the minimum monthly pension will rise to around 1,200 euros ($1,277).

The plan is currently still being debated in the Senate, but discussions are expected to conclude Monday night.

A committee of both houses of parliament, the National Assembly and the Senate, is expected to work out a compromise next week.

Unions recently demanded a meeting with President Macron on the reform proposal.

France is one of the European countries where the statutory retirement age is the lowest, although the pension systems are not fully comparable.