French government ensures that strike must stop; unions stand firm

Macron has already made a series of concessions in his pension reform to try to reach an agreement

"There is no reason for this strike movement to continue ... Today a commitment has been reached with the trade union organizations that dialogue, and everyone aspires to return to an easier life," said Minister of Ecological Transition Elisabeth Borne, also responsible for Transport.

To continue negotiating with unions, the government withdrew "provisionally" on Saturday the most controversial measure of its reform, which planned to raise the minimum age for a full retirement from 62 to 64 years.

The announcement, made by Prime Minister Edouard Philippe on Saturday, was well received by some moderate unions, but others rejected the idea that the conflict will end soon.

"There is no reason for this conflict to continue": "there were preconditions, these preconditions were lifted," the minister added, during bfm politics's broadcast in association with Le Parisien newspaper.

In recent weeks, the government has made a series of concessions to police and military personnel, as well as to pilots and air traffic controllers, allowing them to continue retiring early.

The reform of the social security system is one of President Emmanuel Macron's most ambitious projects and includes the merger of the 42 current schemes, organized by professions, and the establishment of a new calculation system, unique and points.

Following Philippe's announcement, the main opposition union, CGT, warned that he is "more determined than ever" to achieve full withdrawal of the project.

But another more moderate central, the CFDT, the largest union in France and favorable to the universal system by points, as well as unsa and the CFTC, declared themselves willing to continue negotiating after the withdrawal of the minimum age.

On Saturday, CGT and other opposition unions called a new demonstration for next Thursday, January 16, for the sixth time since the strike began on December 5.

The Macron government advocated raising the minimum retirement age from 62 to 64 as something needed in the face of increased life expectancy.

After 39 days of uninterrupted strike, the stoppage in rail transport is the longest since the creation of the French railway company SNCF in 1938.

The buses and the few subway lines that work are crowded. Many Parisians need to go to work or study in bicycle centers or on foot.