The French are angry that the government is raising the retirement age and doing so without a parliamentary vote.
French workers angry because the pension age Blocked access to a terminal at Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris is being increased on a day of nationwide protests.
Demonstrations on Thursday forced some travelers to arrive on foot.
Train services were also disrupted and some schools closed as rubbish piled up on the streets and electricity production was cut, while unions pressured the government to repeal the law that delay retirement in two years, changing it from 62 to 64 years.
Plumes of smoke were seen billowing from burning piles of rubble blocking traffic on a highway near Toulouse in southwestern France, and wildcat strikes briefly blocked roads in other cities as well.
The spontaneous protest near the airport’s terminal one would not affect flights, an Aeroports de Paris spokesman said.
Protest rallies were scheduled later that day across the country, including in the northern city of Dunkirk.
President Emmanuel Macron said on Wednesday that the legislation, which his government approved in the French parliament without a vote last week, would take effect by the end of the year despite escalating tensions.
“The best answer we can give the president is that there are millions of people on strike and in the streets,” said Philippe Martínez, who heads the General Confederation of Labor (CGT) union.
Paul Kantola, a 57-year-old carpenter, told the AFP news agency that he had to get up at 5am in order to go to work. However, he said that he agreed with the protesters.
“It is scary to grow old in these conditions. Already when you have a pension it is not enough to live on,” said Kantola, who lives in the Paris suburb of Nanterre.
The policy changes accelerate a planned increase in the number of years one must work to earn a full pension.
Protests against the measures have erupted since January.
‘Rise of anger’
Most of the demonstrations have been peaceful, but anger has mounted since the government’s decision last week.
The past seven nights have seen spontaneous demonstrations in Paris and other cities, with rubbish bins set on fire and protesters fighting with police.
Laurent Berger, the leader of France’s largest union, the moderate French Democratic Labor Confederation (CFDT), told BFM TV that the government must withdraw the pension law.
Macron’s comments “increased anger,” he said.
The schism represents the most serious challenge to Macron since the “yellow vest” revolt four years ago.
Polls show that a large majority of French citizens oppose the pension legislation and the decision to push it through without a parliamentary vote.
Labor Minister Olivier Dussopt said the government was not denying the tensions but wanted to move on.
“There is a disagreement that will persist on the retirement age. On the other hand, there are many issues that make it possible to resume a dialogue, ”she said, among them, how companies share their profits with workers.
“Things will be done gradually,” he said.
Macron, 45, is in his second and final term and says he is convinced France’s pension system needs reform to keep it funded.
Opponents have proposed other solutions, including higher taxes for the wealthy or businesses, which Macron, a former economy minister, says would hurt the financial system.
