Unions take on Sarkozy with fresh wave of strikes

A day after more than a million people took to the streets in protest, Mr Sarkozy said it was “out of the question” to give up on the plan to raise the retirement age from 60 to 62.

With baby boomers reaching retirement age and life expectancy on the rise, the government insists the rise is necessary, so the pension system can break even by 2018.

The reform is seen as a cornerstone of Mr Sarkozy’s political agenda and a key test for the French leader ahead of 2012 presidential elections.

Unions said it was a threat to hard-won social benefits and want the reform drastically scaled back. In the wake of Tuesday’s protests, six leading unions met yesterday and announced more strikes and demonstrations for September 23.

Mr Sarkozy conceded the government’s willingness to negotiate on smaller details of the reform, including measures for the disabled and people in physically demanding jobs.

The reform is “a lasting and just response that will allow us to save our pension system,” a government spokesman said.

He added that Labour Minister Eric Woerth would be amending the Bill to reflect the small changes. The National Assembly is to vote on it next week.