Thousands protest for higher pensions in France
About the article
This is a digitised version of an article from The Cayman Compass's print archive. Occasionally, the digitisation process introduces transcription errors, or other problems.
See the article in its original context from March 1995.
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An estimated 20,000 people rallied at the Place de la Republique in eastern Paris and marched toward the Place de la Nation to demand a minimum 8 percent increase in pensions.
Hospital and fire-rescue workers, railroad employees also staged separate demonstrations that each attracted several thousand people.
"This demonstration is a reminder of the dangers" facing the retirement system, said Louis Viannet, secretary-general of the Communist-led CGT labour union that helped organise the marches.
Viannet said conditions for retirees are "particularly worrisome because the loss of buying power."
The conservative government of Premier Edouard Balladur has sought to reign in a budget deficit of 300 billion francs ($60 billion).
