French parliamentary commission agrees on retirement-age hike as strikes continue

France saw on March 15 an eighth day of strikes against President Emmanuel Macron’s plans to raise the retirement age from 62 to 64.

Garbage piled up in Paris and rail services were cancelled, with trade unions preparing a show of force as Macron's pension overhaul neared its finale in parliament, according to France 24. 

The strikes come as a joint commission of French upper- and lower-house lawmakers agreed on the retirement-age hike, moving the government’s proposal closer to a potential final vote. 

• A joint commission of French senators and lower-house National Assembly deputies on March 15 agreed on text for the part of the government’s reform plan that raises the retirement age from 62 to 64.  
• In addition to raising the retirement age, the government's plans also raise the requirements for a full pension and would abolish retirement privileges enjoyed by some public-sector employees.
• Women activists say the pension reform would exacerbate gender inequalities at work, adding that women's pensions are on average 40 per cent lower than men's. 
• Opinion polls show that around two-thirds of French people are against the legislation.
• The seventh day of protests saw a lower turnout than on previous days. More than a million demonstrators marched in cities and towns across France on March 7.