Trains halted, schools shut in France as unions fight against pension reform

PARIS, March 7 (Reuters) - French unions stepped up their fight against President Emmanuel Macron’s pension reform plans on Tuesday as most trains came to a halt, fuel deliveries were disrupted and schools shut in a sixth day of nationwide strikes. This is a critical time for the government, which is hoping the reform can be adopted by parliament by the end of March. To increase pressure on lawmakers not to raise the pension age by two years to 64, unions said there would be rolling strikes this time, which could go on for days, including at oil refineries and railways. “We will continue until the reform is withdrawn,” the head of FO union, Frédéric Souillot, told RTL radio. Garbage collectors and truck drivers joined the strike, in a sign the protests were spreading to more sectors. Like in previous strikes, power production was reduced, fuel deliveries and refining were disrupted and many teachers walked off the job. Rallies are planned across France after more than 1.27 million people took part in previous protests on Jan. 31. There were reports of students blocking schools while BFM TV showed footage of workers abandoning cars on the side of the road near Amiens in northern France as others blocked access to an industrial zone. “Together…let’s bring France to a halt!,” the country’s main unions said in a joint statement. Real Hassle Some travellers affected by the strike said they backed it even if it made going to work tricky, with only in five high-speed trains running, almost all regular Intercity trains cancelled, and the Paris metro seriously disrupted. “Of course it has an impact on me because I need to go to work like everyone else,” security guard Alex Cristea said at the Paris Saint-Lazare train station. “But I support them for what they do … it’s of utmost importance.” Opinion polls have for weeks shown that a majority of voters reject the reform, but the government insists it is essential to ensure the pension system does not go bust. “I can understand that not many people want to work two more years, but it’s necessary to ensure the viability of the system,” Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne told France 5 TV. While Macron’s camp does not have an absolute majority in parliament, it can count on the support of at least part of the conservative Les Republicains. “I’m telling Emmanuel Macron to hang in there,” LR senator Bruno Retailleau has said. “If he gives in, he won’t be able to carry out more reforms, it would be the end of his (second) term.” Still, it is unclear whether the changes will be approved by parliament by the end of the month or if the government will have to ram them through using special constitutional powers. “We are going into a higher gear,” the head of CGT union, Philippe Martinez, told weekly JDD. “The ball is now in president (Macron)’s court. It is up to him to withdraw this reform.”