French social partners start three months of pension reform discussions

At the traditional May Day labour march in 2023, trade unions mobilised against the French pension reform law, which raised the retirement age to 64. Unions and management representatives are now starting three months of weekly discussions to find ways to adapt the reform. © Benoit Tessier/Reuters

France’s labour and management representatives begin three months of negotiations Thursday on the 2023 pension reform that raised the retirement age to 64. While some unions call for the reform to be repealed, the government is asking for the system’s budget to be balanced by 2030, which might not be possible without raising the retirement age.

The weekly discussions between social partners is part of Prime Minister François Bayrou’s pledge to reopen talks on the 2023 pension reform, which pushes the retirement age up from 62 to 64 years old.