Pension Protestsः Why France Shouldn’t Lecture Others On Human Rights

The G7 country’s unemployment rate is double that of the Indian state of Karnataka. But instead of fixing its domestic labour problems, the French government is busy talking about other countries’ problems.

—A Special Report

March 15, 2023:

France has been rocked by massive, disruptive street protests, including nationwide strikes and marches, during the past several weeks over the government’s anti-labour reform plans, bringing out the deep fault lines in its muchvaunted societal and democratic system.

Depending on whether you believe the government or the trade unions, either 10 lakh or 20 lakh people took part in the recently held rallies. It’s a huge number, considering the western European nation’s population of 6.56 crore is a shade less than India’s eighth most populated state of Karnataka (6.95 crore).

The smug G7 nation, which loses no opportunity to pat itself on the back for its rich culture and iconic structures, and lectures other countries such as China, Russia, and India on human rights and democracy, now stands exposed as an undeclared failed state as the domestic mess escalates.

At the centre of the conflict is the French government’s decision to push up the retirement age from 62 to 64, and make people who’ve been in service for at least 43 years eligible for state pension, a benefit extended to all retirees until now.

Only those who joined the workforce at a younger age or are engaged in a hazardous profession are exempt from the proposed rules, which need parliament clearance before being turned into law.

The January 10 government announcement of the controversial move triggered an immediate backlash, with eight leading trade unions calling a series of strikes from January to February, vowing to force the government to roll back the plan.

“Traditionally, relations between the government, employers and trade unions have been more antagonistic in France than in most other European countries,” said Douglas Webber, an emeritus professor of political science at the INSEAD business school.

However, policy propositions that don’t go down well with the working class come as no surprise from western governments, which are loyal-asdog worshippers of market forces, and for whom granting relief to senior citizens is a bitter pill to swallow.

WHAT ABOUT US, UK?

The UK, for example, has under its various Acts increased the state pensionable age of its citizens in phases based on their gender and date of birth. While under a previous legislation, a 1950-born woman would get her pension after attaining 60 years of age, under the latest law, a person born between March 6, 1961 and April 5, 1977 would be eligible for pension only on reaching the age of 67. Similarly, in the US, the official retirement age is 67.

Coming back to the turbulent developments in France, on January 19, nine days after the government unveiled its pension plans, students and retirees walked shoulder to shoulder, disregarding freezing rains, in nationwide rallies. Also marching with them were trade unionists, health workers, and energy agency employees as a general strike put the brakes on most of the trains, including the premium Eurostar that had to cancel a number of services between Paris and London.

One-fifth of the flights originating from Paris’s Orly Airport were grounded, while more than a third of France’s teachers joined the strike. Businesses, refinery delivery, and power supplies suffered as a result of the domestic turmoil.

Seats of French pride and global tourist destinations, such as Versailles Palace and Eiffel Tower, were closed, while the Louvre Museum shut some exhibition rooms.

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