Port sector workers in France decide to strike

Port and dock workers in France have gone on strike in protest against the pension reform that gradually raises the retirement age to 64.

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According to reports in the national press, employees at various ports, including Marseille and Le Havre, staged a one-day work stoppage to protest the pension reform.

Operations at the ports were disrupted due to the strike by port and dock workers protesting the reform, which gradually increases the retirement age from 62 to 64. The strikers, who blocked all entrances to the Port of Le Havre, also set fire to vehicle tires there.

Port workers are demanding to retire at an earlier age, arguing that they perform strenuous work.

PENSION REFORM

Mass demonstrations began on March 16, 2023, after the French government decided to pass the bill, which includes raising the retirement age from 62 to 64, through the National Assembly without a vote.

While police intervened harshly against protesters, violent incidents occurred in many parts of the country. More than 1,000 people were detained in anti-reform protests held across the country.

The bill in question was signed by French President Emmanuel Macron and published in the Official Gazette on April 15.