France: after 34 days of strike action talks resume between the government and social partners over France’s pension reform

On 07 January 2020, talks between the government and social partners over France’s pension reform resumed after 34 days of industrial action and the longest such period in French industrial relations history. In order to find a pathway towards a solution the relevant parties will pursue talks over the upcoming weeks that will focus on the issues of pension scheme funding as well on arduous work careers and older workers, and which could produce a compromise sufficient to secure the backing of the trade unions that are not currently opposing the main pillars of the pension reform project, i.e. the implementation of a single universal points-based pension scheme (that would see an end to the presently operating situation of 42 separate schemes, c.f. article No. 11540). Worker mobilization action will however continue.
Enjoy this article for free while you’re in your trial period
You have access to our content for 1 month.

On 10 January 2020, an initial meeting will be held at the Prime Minister’s offices that will discuss the CFDT union’s request to organize a ‘conference’ later on over financing the pensions plan and avoiding the ‘pivot age’ proposal that Prime Minister Édouard Philippe has been putting forward. This reference age differs from the legal retirement age (which remains at 62) in so far as the pivot age is that which confers full pension rights eligibility and can in principle vary in order to safe

Do you have information to share with us?
What you absolutely must read this week
The essential content of the week selected by the editorial team.
See all
Germany: major day of union action in the automotive industry ahead of collective bargaining
A few weeks before the start of collective bargaining in the German metalworking sector, the IG Metall trade union mobilised nearly 175,000 workers across more than 200 industrial sites on 21...
22 September 2026
UK: clothing retailer Next allowed on appeal to pay warehouse workers more than store staff
The news. On 7 September 2026, the Employment Appeal Tribunal ruled in favour of clothing chain Next, which pays warehouse staff more than store staff. At first instance, the Leeds tribunal had...
21 September 2026
Denmark: government seeks to temporarily maintain early retirement age at 64
The news. On 12 September, the Danish government confirmed that the age limit for early retirement (“tidlig pension”) will remain at 64 for individuals born between 1963 and 1965, for...
21 September 2026
EU: insurance sector social partners commit to addressing violence and harassment at work
The news. The trade union UNI Europa Finance and the employers’ federations Insurance Europe, Amice and Bipar signed an addendum to their 2022 joint declaration on diversity and inclusion on...
18 September 2026
Most viewed articles of the month on mind HR
What readers clicked on the most last month.
What readers clicked on the most last month.
1
Spain: government seeks to strengthen protection for employee whistleblowers
On 28 July, the Spanish Council of Ministers approved a draft bill aimed at providing legal protection to employees who report corruption or breaches of labour law, shielding them from potential...
27 August 2026
2
France: Cabinet adopts pay transparency bill
After several months of delay beyond the European deadline of 7 June 2026, French Labour Minister Jean-Pierre Farandou finally presented the bill transposing the Pay Transparency Directive to the...
10 September 2026
3
Netherlands: Uber fined over 800 million euros for automated algorithmic decisions
The news. In a decision dated 17 August, the Dutch Data Protection Authority fined ride-hailing company Uber €825 million for automating decisions regarding driver account deactivations. The...
4
Italy: Crédit Agricole introduces a handbook on managerial behaviour
The document adopted in mid-July by Crédit Agricole Italia and the main banking trade unions goes beyond the proper use of meetings and emails. This six-point handbook aims to foster constructive...
3 September 2026
5
Spain: government revisits its draft decree on salary transparency
The Spanish Ministry of Labour has opened a consultation on the transposition of the European directive on salary transparency and the reduction of the gender pay gap. This decision follows a...
8 September 2026
6
Slovakia: 6% increase in the minimum wage from 1 January 2027
The news. As Slovakia’s social partners failed to reach an agreement during tripartite negotiations, Labour Minister Erik Tomas has decided to increase the minimum wage by 6% from 1 January...
1 September 2026