![](\"https:\/\/cdn.images.express.co.uk\/img\/dynamic\/78\/590x\/secondary\/france-protest-pensions-reform-macron-4612276.avif?r=1678283010391\")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/p>\n<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/p>\n
French train and metro drivers, refinery workers, garbage collectors and others were holding further strikes on Wednesday against President Emmanuel Macron\u2019s plan to raise the retirement age to 64, in an effort to keep up pressure on the government amid the ongoing parliamentary debate.<\/p>\n
New protest actions focused on women \u2014 and the retirement reform\u2019s impact on working mothers \u2014 were expected Wednesday, to coincide with International Women\u2019s Day. Feminist activists see the pension reform as unfair to women, especially because they say it would further deepen gender inequalities faced during their careers.<\/p>\n
A march called by women’s rights groups was scheduled for Wednesday afternoon in Paris.<\/p>\n
Unions demand the withdrawal of the reform. The bill is under debate in the Senate this week.<\/p>\n
French government spokesman Olivier V\u00e9ran said Wednesday: \u201cWe are aware that the effort required from the French does not win the support from a majority.<\/p>\n
“But we are convinced that alternatives \u2014 raising taxes, increasing the (state) debt, decreasing pensions \u2014 would not win more the support of public opinion.\u201d<\/p>\n
![](\"https:\/\/cdn.images.express.co.uk\/img\/dynamic\/78\/590x\/secondary\/france-protests-macron-pensions-unions-4612283.jpg?r=1678283010435\")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/p>\n
Opinion polls consistently suggest that most French voters oppose the pension plan.<\/p>\n
V\u00e9ran hoped Article 7 of the bill, which is focusing on raising the retirement age from 62 to 64, will be adopted by the Senate later on Wednesday. Talks at the upper house of parliament are scheduled to last until the end of the week.<\/p>\n
On Wednesday morning, train traffic and the Paris metro remained severely disrupted.<\/p>\n
The SNCF rail authority said only one high-speed train in three was expected to circulate across the country. Trains to Spain have come to a halt and some cancellations affect those to and from Britain and Belgium.<\/p>\n
A fifth of flights have been cancelled at Paris\u2019s Charles de Gaulle Airport and about a third at Orly Airport.<\/p>\n
READ MORE: <\/b>Moscow in flames after explosion at major power plant sparks<\/b><\/p>\n
Oil shipments in the country were halted for a second consecutive day amid strikes at the refineries of TotalEnergies and Esso ExxonMobil, according to the CGT union.<\/p>\n
Paris garbage collectors also decided to continue the strike on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
In addition, workers on strike were blocking access to ports in the southern city of Marseille and in Rouen and Le Havre, in the west.<\/p>\n
Macron has vowed to go ahead with the bill, which he presents as key to his pro-businesses economic policies.<\/p>\n
The reform would raise the minimum pension age from 62 to 64 and require 43 years of work to earn a full pension, amid other measures. The government argues the system is expected to dive into deficit within a decade as France\u2019s population ages and life expectancy lengthens.<\/p>\n