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		</div><p>The Eiffel Tower has shut down as French unions held last-ditch strikes and protests around the country on the day the government unveils a divisive bill redesigning the national retirement system.</p>
<p>Travellers faced renewed disruption on regional trains and the Paris subway on the 50th straight day of record strikes, and some schools and other public services also faced walkouts.</p>
<p>The Eiffel Tower closed and the Versailles chateau and Louvre Museum warned visitors of potential disruptions.</p>
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<p>The number of striking workers and halted trains dropped considerably this week after the government made a series of concessions.</p>
<figure id="attachment_148412" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-148412" style="width: 600px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img class="size-full wp-image-148412" src="https://londonglossy.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/E6ADB800-F3DD-44B7-950F-362D62CEF0A2.jpeg" alt="" width="600" height="400" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-148412" class="wp-caption-text">Women perform a dance against French President Emmanuel Macron during a demonstration in Paris</figcaption></figure>
<p>But unions hope Friday’s actions will revive opposition to President Emmanuel Macron’s signature reform.</p>
<p>Union activists gathered in eastern Paris and marched through other cities, hoping to derail the plan.</p>
<p>Mr Macron’s government is moving ahead with the plan anyway, presenting it at a cabinet meeting.</p>
<p>Then it goes to parliament, where Mr Macron’s centrist party has a large majority and is all but sure to approve it.</p>
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<p>Mr Macron sees the changes as central to his plan to adapt France to the globalised 21st century economy.</p>
<figure id="attachment_148411" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-148411" style="width: 600px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img class="size-full wp-image-148411" src="https://londonglossy.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/BBA46669-8A49-4B9A-8F0E-B61422F98AD0.jpeg" alt="" width="600" height="400" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-148411" class="wp-caption-text">A protester holds a mask of French President Emmanuel Macron during a demonstration in Paris</figcaption></figure>
<p>He argues that the old system was unfair, outdated and too costly for a country with growing life expectancy.</p>
<p>Unions say the new plan threatens hard-won workers’ rights and will hurt the poorest workers.</p>
<p>The plan will streamline France’s 42 retirement systems into a single points-based system for all workers, public and private sector alike, and abolish special provisions allowing certain workers to retire as early as their fifties.</p>
<p>It will also introduce a minimum pension.</p>
<p>The government backed down on plans to raise the age to receive a full pension from 62 to 64, at least for now.</p>
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<figure id="attachment_148410" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-148410" style="width: 600px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img class="size-full wp-image-148410" src="https://londonglossy.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/0E405980-752B-4CAC-84A9-9301399FC0FB.jpeg" alt="" width="600" height="400" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-148410" class="wp-caption-text">Teachers demonstrate against the proposed pension bill in Paris</figcaption></figure>
<p>Instead, Prime Minister Edouard Philippe agreed to negotiate with unions starting next week on a way to make the new retirement system financially sustainable – and that is likely to require eventually raising the retirement age.</p>
<p>That is among many details that remain undecided and will be announced by the government later.</p>
<p>The government has also negotiated deals with various sectors – including pilots, members of the military and police – who will still be able to retire earlier than others.</p>
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<p>The new points system will come into place starting in 2022 for the youngest workers, and then gradually for older workers.</p>
<p>It will only affect those born after 1974.</p>
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