French PM unveils pension changes, unions call for strikes

By SYLVIE CORBET
The Associated Press

PARIS (AP) — French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne has unveiled a contentious pension overhaul aimed at raising the retirement age from 62 to 64 by 2030. The country’s main unions called for strikes and protests on Jan. 19. Borne said the minimum retirement age to be entitled to a full pension will be gradually increased by three months every year, starting this year, in line with a longstanding pledge by President Emmanuel Macron. In addition, people will need to have worked at least 43 years to get a full pension, starting from 2027. The government argues that French people live longer than they used to and therefore need to work longer to make the pension system financially sustainable.