Retirees hit the streets in France again, demand increase in pensions

This was the seventh march taken out by the retirees since the election of Emmanuel Macron as the president of France.

April 12, 2019 by Peoples Dispatch
retirees march - france

Thousands of retirees marched in the streets of France on April 11, demanding an increase in pensions and the cancellation of the rise in social security payments, called the CSG, for all pensioners. The mobilization was called by nine trade unions, including the General Confederation of Labor (CGT), Worker’s Force (FO), CFTC, CGC, FSU, LSR, Together, Public Service Retirees, and Solidarity.

General social contribution (CSG) is a compulsory levy imposed on salaried people in proportion to their salaries since 1991, which contributes to the financing of social security in France. On January 1, 2018, the government increased the CSG payment rates in line with the inflation rate at 1.7% for those earning more than 2,000 euros (USD 2,263) per month.

The FO stated that the government has, with the Social Security Financing Act 2019, decided to limit the increase of pensions to 0.3% in January 2019, which is well below the inflation rate in 2018, which reached 1.8%. Moreover, factors like stagnant pension rates without any hike since 2013 and the 1.7% increase in the CSG on January 1, 2018, have put the retirees in the country in a precarious condition.

Earlier, on March 15, tens of thousands of retirees had demonstrated in various cities in the country along with the Yellow Vests, which forced the government to promise cancellation of the increase of the CSG for all retirees. According to reports, the march held on April 11 was the seventh march taken out by the retirees since the election of Emmanuel Macron as the president of France.