Thursday 19th Jan - General Strike throughout France

[Blaze]

@Biloute The problems are not helped by the inequalities (I can't believe I wrote 'inegalities') of retirement age and pensions in France and in some cases, the outdated need for "régimes spéciaux.
Then there how many different caisses de retraite ? I believe it's about 42 !!! (correct me if I'm wrong !)
Why should there be a difference whether you work for the private or public sector ? A private sector medical consultant told me he had to work for 40 years, nearly 10 years longer than his public sector counterpart. Is he correct ?
Naturally everyone was happy to reduce retirement age but wasn't it Jospin who brought in the 35 hour week (and wasn't it without a cut in wages/salary ?)?

I'm not entirely clear how private pensions work in France and since when you were allowed to contribute to them.
How are "ordinary" people's pensions calculated, i.e. those who are not fonctionnaires ?

I don't think raising the retirement age will solve the problem but no doubt it's the first reform with more to come.
The government could, of course, impose a ceiling on the pensions the state pays out, but like trying to abolish the régimes spéciaux, this would result in yet another walk-out.

Lots of questions, many things I don't understand ..... so very complicated in France !

[niemeyjt]

Maybe they need to take an alternative approach - and levy an extra tax at a variable rate dependant on the pension regime.

[Biloute]

@Biloute The problems are not helped by the inequalities (I can't believe I wrote 'inegalities') of retirement age and pensions in France and in some cases, the outdated need for "régimes spéciaux.
Then there how many different caisses de retraite ? I believe it's about 42 !!! (correct me if I'm wrong !)
Why should there be a difference whether you work for the private or public sector ? A private sector medical consultant told me he had to work for 40 years, nearly 10 years longer than his public sector counterpart. Is he correct ?
Naturally everyone was happy to reduce retirement age but wasn't it Jospin who brought in the 35 hour week (and wasn't it without a cut in wages/salary ?)?

I'm not entirely clear how private pensions work in France and since when you were allowed to contribute to them.
How are "ordinary" people's pensions calculated, i.e. those who are not fonctionnaires ?

I don't think raising the retirement age will solve the problem but no doubt it's the first reform with more to come.
The government could, of course, impose a ceiling on the pensions the state pays out, but like trying to abolish the régimes spéciaux, this would result in yet another walk-out.

Lots of questions, many things I don't understand ..... so very complicated in France !

@Blaze: You're right we do have 42 pension systems: that's, among other things, a legacy of labor struggles over the years. It is true that driving a train today is less painful than the steam locomotives of the past, but the advantages acquired remain... In addition, during strikes, workers in certain areas block the country more easily than in others.
I don't understand everything about the different systems, far from it: it's so complicated... And I think that almost all French people are the same. But everyone looks at the neighbor's plate with jealousy and no one is happy! The reform planned by Macron aims to remove special schemes for people who start working now, so the result is for 43 years from now, i.e. in 2066... . If I suggested making the robots contribute, it would also have the advantage that it wouldn't divide people like now and the robots wouldn't be able to complain with jealously . And they don't go on strike... Note that robots are also workers who have a special scheme since currently they do not contribute...

[MAD87]

Plenty of manifs in Brittany ....
It's tough for the French isn't it, 35 hour week for most, retirement at 62, pension a percentage of the last annual salary .....

You're right, 35 hours is not much ! But let's not forget that the passage from 65 to 60 years and to 35 hours a week were made by Mitterand to hide the increase in unemployment... When I started to work, it was 45 hours but, at that time, it was almost full employment !
Our pension system is a Ponzi scheme collapsing due to mechanization. In the 1960s, there were 4 workers for 1 retiree. Today it is only 1.7. In addition, life expectancy has increased and pensioners have their pension longer. It might be time to make the robots contribute: they are, after all, workers too... And also to remanufacture in France.
What you say for the calculation of the pension is incorrect: it is a percentage of the salaries of the last 6 months for civil servants and on the average of the best 25 years for the private sector. (this is why civil servants often have a nice raise 6 months before retiring...).
I think Thursday's strike was just a formation lap: the protests and blockages are likely to continue because Macron is going to impose his reform. We'll see...

the 35 hour week was introduced under Jospin (Aubrey & co).

[Blaze]

the 35 hour week was introduced under Jospin (Aubrey & co).

That's what I thought - I remember it happening !

[Char]

Maybe they need to take an alternative approach - and levy an extra tax at a variable rate dependant on the pension regime.

You should see the amount of money you've got left of what you've earned after the various cotisations have been taken from your wages - that's before paying income tax. Honestly it's enough to make you cry. After having been used to paying tax and NI in the UK I was very surprised at the difference.

[niemeyjt]

You should see the amount of money you've got left of what you've earned after the various cotisations have been taken from your wages - that's before paying income tax. Honestly it's enough to make you cry. After having been used to paying tax and NI in the UK I was very surprised at the difference.

Of course, but my formula would hit those retiring youngest hardest and those taking normal retirement would not pay extra. Maybe a 2% levy for each year below 40 years of working life?

[niemeyjt]

Round 2 today, it seems.

I understand Les Republicains (or whatever they are now called) will support Macron and the new law will pass. Interesting times.

[Char]

Round 2 today, it seems.

Yep, I got another lay in this morning.

[niemeyjt]

I think he is right - the proposal is extending it at a rate of 3 months per year so the retirement age will be 64 by September 2030 - that is at half the speed at which the UK extended its retirement age as I found out.

But in reality, it should not stop in 2030 - but that will be for the next President to decide!