by Ounissi Sonia ============================================================ PARIS, Oct. 22 (Xinhua) -- The French Senate Friday night endorsed the retirement reform bill amid massive protests nationwide. Officials considered it crucial to ensure pension financing while trade unions are grimly determined to oppose the bill with further strikes. After a three-week debate, the Senate voted 177-153 for the pension reform, which raises the retirement age from 60 to 62 and the full pension age, regardless of contribution period, from 65 to 67. It also passed 131 amendments, including offering early retirement to parents of three children, parents of disabled children, people starting work before 18 and some gruelling job takers. Labor Minister Eric Woerth, the main brain behind the proposed reforms, told senators that rivals "would be grateful one day to President (Nicolas) Sarkozy and to the government." They will thank the government "for having the courage to assume such responsibility," he said. Speaking to ITele television channel, Woerth called the reform important for the French public interest, noting that the retirement system must develop, otherwise the government won't be able to pay the pensions. According to statistics released by the French authorities, without overhauling the retirement system, the pension deficit will reach 32.3 billion euros in 2010. "Sarkozy's success," as the bill has been dubbed by local media, is far from ending the friction between the government and trade unions. A survey showed that up to 69 percent of French people support "strikes and demonstrations" against the reform. "There is no reason at all to stop. There is no other alternative while the government remains intransigent," CGT leader Bernard Thibault told RMC Radio, indicating that the country expects fresh waves of demonstrations. Students have planned to continue to block schools, and the main trade unions have scheduled two new protests on Oct. 28 and Nov. 6. Waves of protest strikes not only paralyzed public transport but also brought a nationwide fuel shortage to Europe's second economic power. Official data showed that more than 20 percent of the country's 12,500 oil stations are out of fuel. All 12 petrol refineries across the country have stopped operating for over a week. Martine Aubry, head of the Socialist Party, called for a continuation of strikes in a statement, saying that the lesson of democracy that French people taught Sarkozy has not been accepted. The bill now goes to a committee composed of seven senators and lower house lawmakers on Monday. They will try to settle differences before returning the bill to both houses for a final vote at the end of this month. (xinhua) Editor: Fang Yang |
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