French prime minister Edouard Philippe has announced that the minimum retirement age will remain 62, but workers will have to work until 64 to get a full pension.
In a sweeping speech on Wednesday, amid widespread strikes, he said the implementation of the pension changes will be delayed, and the new system will only apply to people born after 1975.
The measures will start being implemented for new workers entering the labour market in 2022, which is the final year of President Emmanuel Macron’s current term.
The government says a minimum pension of 1,000 euros (£840) per month will be put in place for those who have worked all their life.
The government’s announcements come on the seventh straight day of a crippling transport strike and after hundreds of thousands of angry protesters marched through French cities.
The government is hoping the plan might calm tensions.
On Wednesday in the Paris region, authorities measured around 285 miles of traffic jams, and all but two of the city’s metro lines closed.
Many French commuters still express support for the strikes despite the chaos, owing to fears that their pensions will shrink under Mr Macron’s plan.
Unions fear that a new system, which replaces a national pension with privileges for some in the transport sector, will force people to work longer for smaller pension allocations.
The government says it will not raise the age of retirement from 62.
