France: Macron signs pension bill amidst strikes

French President Emmanuel Macron signed the controversial law that raised the retirement age by two more years over the weekend. The signing of the bill into law has sparked further outrage among unions that have now planned more strikes.

On Saturday, Macron signed the legislation that would raise the retirement age to 64 from 62 in a blow to unions that have been staging protests in the country in recent weeks. The law is set to take effect on September 1. The signing of the bill into law was announced in the government’s official journal hours after the Constitutional Council ruled in favor of raising the pension age on Friday last week.

The proclamation of the law has since drawn outrage from unions in the country that urged the French government to wait until tensions have died down. The announcement has prompted unions to call for workers to take to the streets on Labor Day on May 1.

“This is a totally shameful decision,” CGT Union head Sophie Binet told Franceinfo radio. “He has slammed the door in our face yet again.”

Binet said other actions would take place on April 20 and April 28, and rail unions have called on its workers for a day of “anger” on April 20.

French labor minister Olivier Dussopt told France Culture radio that the government wanted talks with the unions on other social issues. French media reported that Macron would make a public address on Monday. The legislation drew public outrage when the government, which does not hold a majority in parliament, pushed the bill through without a final vote.

Macron has maintained that raising the pension age is necessary to address the country’s deficit by the end of the decade. Unions have argued that the funding could be found in another manner, including increasing taxes for the rich.

The nine-member Constitutional Council voted in favor of the key provisions of the legislation, determining that the bill was in accordance with the law. The council, however, rejected six provisions that were part of the bill, such as forcing large firms to release data on how many people over 55 are employed and a separate measure to create a special contract for older workers.