Paris, February 21 (RHC)-- French unions carried out the tenth day of a general strike against the bill for the pension reform proposed by President Emmanuel Macron.  "We will not give up because we are convinced that we are right in our analysis.  This project will be a danger in the coming decades," the Labor Force (FO) secretary Yves Veyrier said.

On February 17, Macron handed his bill to the National Assembly, where his party, the Republic in March (LREM), has a large majority. Its first vote is scheduled for early March.  The strike is actively supported by teachers, health workers, lawyers, and railroad personnel. There are also demonstrations in different cities where citizens demand the total withdrawal of the bill.

Through the new law, President Macron seeks to merge 42 different pension schemes into a single pension system. These schemes offer early retirement and other benefits to some public sector workers, lawyers, physiotherapists, employees of the Paris Opera, and other professionals.

After several weeks of intense demonstrations, the French government withdrew its proposal to increase the minimum retirement age to 64 years, an issue that caused outrage among citizens.  Nevertheless, Macron insists on making changes to the pension system to achieve what he calls a "more equitable and solvent" retirement system.

French workers hold that the proposed reforms would force the population to work longer for a smaller pension, which would be a setback of their rights.