Unions vow to shut France’s economy down amid pension battle

By ANGELA CHARLTON and SYLVIE CORBET
Associated Press

PARIS (AP) — Unions are threatening to shut down France’s economy this week in what they hope is their toughest riposte yet to President Emmanuel Macron’s plan to raise the retirement age. The first actions started Monday as truckers sporadically blocked major highway arteries and interchanges in go-slow actions dubbed “escargot” operations across several French regions. Unions plan an open-ended strike on the national rail service starting Monday evening. The government is bracing for the biggest disruptions Tuesday when unions plan strikes across multiple sectors and protests. The retirement reform would raise the official pension age from 62 to 64. The bill is under debate in parliament.