WASHINGTON — Negotiations between the French government and labor unions are focusing on changes to a landmark pension reform bill that has caused massive and crippling transportation strikes across the European country, the Associated Press reports.
The changes being focused on and put forward would raise the pension eligibility age in France by two years, from 62 to 64, before citizens would be eligible for a full pension.
Wednesday, French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe met with leaders of French labor unions and representatives for employer groups. Those meetings came after the President of France, Emmanuel Macron requested that his government hold talks regarding the matter. The talks would focus on potential amendments to the pension reform package. The Macron government is hoping that unions will put the strikes on a pause through the holiday season, but reports say a deal doesn't seem to be coming any time soon.
Protests that erupted days ago have sustained around the country.
Trade unions in France had to defend their choice to cut power to thousands of homes, businesses and as Reuters reports, even the Bank of France. Unions say the move was meant to force the French government to drop the pension reform changes.
Those power cuts are illegal under French law and were condemned "in the strongest of terms" by President Macron during a cabinet meeting, according to a spokesperson, as Reuters reported.
Aerial shots of an incredibly long traffic jam in the Paris area aired on French news channel BFM on Monday. According to BFM, traffic stretched for nearly 400 miles.
Wednesday BFM posted these images of traffic in Paris and the situation did not appear to have improved.
