In his New Year's address, French President Macron announced a series of measures designed to address the crisis in the interests of the ruling class. Macron had already announced in 2017 that he would raise the retirement age by three years to 65. These measures are intended to close a deficit of 12 billion euros in pension funds. However, the plans for such an increase had led to weeks of protests and strikes, which is why they were not initially pushed through.
Now, however, the French president wants to do the job properly and has announced that this "pension reform" will finally be introduced in the summer of 2023.
The extension of working time is to be accompanied by other measures affecting unemployment insurance and the basic RSA insurance. The unemployment benefit is to be made dependent in the future on the unemployment rate and to decrease by up to 40% if it lies under 6%. In general, the duration of benefits is to be shortened. Basic benefits are to be tied to 15-20 hours of work per week, initially in some regions.
As part of a "training reform," trainees are to have a longer practical training period combined with shorter school times in the future. In concrete terms, this means cheaper labor for the bosses with poorer quality training.
The French unions announced protests against these measures, especially against the "pension reform". Closing the deficits in the pension fund should not be a problem, since 157 billion was loosened up for large companies in the Corona pandemic. Already in his last term, Macron faced the Yellow Vest movement, which fought resolutely against his policies in the streets. The French masses have certainly not forgotten these successful struggles.
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