Pensions: first day of action on the 19th of January

Common statement of French Trade Unions:

“The Prime Minister has announced on the 10th of January 2023 the extension of the legal
retirement age to 64 years with an acceleration in the increase of the contribution period.
This reform will have a heavy impact on all workers, especially those who started working
early, the most precarious, whose life expectancy is lower than the rest of the population,
and those whose arduous work is not recognized. It will worsen the precariousness of
those who are already out of work before retirement, and reinforce gender inequalities.
The (pay-as-you-go) pension system is not in danger, therefore there is no justification for
such a brutal reform. Committed to a better sharing of wealth, the French trade union
organizations have not stopped during the consultation with the Government to propose
other financing solutions, starting with the improvement of senior workers’ employment.
The government, bent on its initial project, has never given them serious consideration.
Following the announcement of the government reform, all trade union organizations
immediately met to build a common cross-sectoral action in response. This will take the
form of a first day of strikes and demonstrations on the 19th of January 2023.
Because they represent all workers, job seekers and retirees, it is this trade union date that
gives the start of a powerful mobilization on pensions in the long term.
They have already decided to meet on the evening of 19 January with youth organizations
to prolong the mobilization and decide on other initiatives.
Trade unions call all workers to mobilize strongly from this first day of action in every
territory and to participate in the different initiatives organized in a common way with other
unions.”

Paris, on the 10th of January 2023