In Paris, workers, unions and their supporters gathered for a fourth mass protest rally against the government's plans to reform the French pension system and The Local spoke to some of the strikers about how they are managing.
The strikes began on December 5th and many people – particularly transport workers – have been on strike ever since.
READ ALSO EXPLAINED What are France's special pensions regimes and why are people striking to protect them?
French workers are not paid during strikes and with Christmas approaching many said they were experiencing financial difficulties – but added that they were determined to carry on.
Unions fear that the government's proposed reforms will see French people working longer and for smaller pensions, although the government says the new system will be more fair to everyone.
It wants to replace the current highly complicated system of 42 different pension regimes with one universal system and do away with the 'special regimes' that allow some people – predominantly in the public sector – to retire early.
Two of the main unions participating in the strike, the CFDT and the CGT, are keeping to one side of the square each. While the CFDT wants a universal pension reform (“just not this one”), the CGT wants the French government to scrap the current suggestion and start anew. pic.twitter.com/ie1bD9QKkd
— Ingri Bergo (@ingribergo) December 17, 2019

Snoop, 37, and Kamel, 42, work at the SNCF. They’ve been striking since day 1 (December 5th). “It’s hard,” Kamal said. “Yesterday my daughter called me evil. She’d seen on the news that all the rail workers were mean and ruining Christmas for everyone.” pic.twitter.com/AMESHLl45i
— Ingri Bergo (@ingribergo) December 17, 2019
Edgar Stemer is the General Secretary of all that is transport in the @CFDT. “Including the RATP. It’s our fault that Paris is blocked,” he said. #greve17decembre 2/3 pic.twitter.com/abPwaFtImy
— Ingri Bergo (@ingribergo) December 17, 2019
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