French Senate OKs raising retirement age to 62

[marmar]

PARIS—The French Senate, pushed into an early vote, approved on Friday a hotly contested bill raising the retirement age to 62, hours after riot police forced the reopening of a strategic refinery to help halt growing fuel shortages amid nationwide strikes and protests.

In tense balloting after 140 hours of debate, the Senate voted 177-153 for the pension reform. The measure is expected to win final formal approval by both houses of parliament next week.

President Nicolas Sarkozy’s conservative government, keen to get the measure passed and quell increasingly radicalized protests, cut short the debate and voting process using a special procedure. Critics on the left dubbed the use of Article 44-3 of the Constitution a denial of democracy.

The tough stance by the government extended to strikes as French riot police forced a strategic refinery to reopen Friday, aiming to halt growing fuel shortages that have emptied gas pumps around the country and risked hurting industry. ...........(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.thestar.com/news/world/article/879897--french-senate-oks-raising-retirement-age-to-62?bn=1

[Ginto]

1. Can't believe they are talking about raising it when they should be lowering it.

They should lower it as far as 45. Let people enjoy life and be with their families. Let the younger workers take the positions that open up.

Already addressed this in latest breaking news.

[stray cat]

3. Are you going to pay salaries for those who retire from 45 to say 85?

on your income? You better start putting in longer hours

[Ginto]

9. Yes.

Tax the wealthy at 90%. What is really needed though is a tax on wealth of about 10% or higher a year. Use it or lose it. Don't let these wealthy families sit on their wealth and just live off the returns.

[Rex]

12. Awesome response, welcome to DU!

:hi:

[Ginto]

21. Thanks. Long time lurker, first time poster. nt

[BootinUp]

16. Welcome

to DU.

I liked your response. I may not favor a 90% tax rate, but it is certainly in the right direction.

:hi:

[Ginto]

22. Thanks. Long time lurker, first time poster.

I'm sure cooler heads than mine could come up with #'s that work. :) I think the key is not to allow the wealthy to just sit on their wealth.

[villager]

2. The Empire always strikes back... now how will The People respond?

n/t

[regnaD kciN]

11. What CAN they do?

Vote Sarkozy out at the next election? Perhaps...but that's several years down the road. Once the new law is put into effect, it's going to be a lot harder to reinstate the old system, because the "cost savings" will have already been worked into the budget -- those who will want to lower the age again will have to figure out massive budget cuts to free up the money.

Sad to say, but it looks like the free-marketeers won this time...just like they seem to win every time, everywhere. :-(

[DCBob]

4. So what's the alternative? If what their leadership says is true, if they dont do this..

then the system will collapse. Personally I would have no problem working a couple of years longer.. if that meant saving the retirement system. In fact, if I am healthy and have a job, I plan to work as long as I can be productive... but I also love my vacations!

[DJ13]

5. This has nothing to do with a system collapse

This is nothing more than the financial elites insuring they get paid back 100 cents on the dollar for making poor decisions buying government bonds.

[leftstreet]

6. +1

[DCBob]

7. So its a conspiracy to bash the citizens? perhaps..

however it would not surprise me that its the truth. It does make sense given the circumstances. We are living longer and costs are rising and many nations are not as rich as they used to be due to the world wide recession.

[leftstreet]

8. Nations aren't 'as rich as they used to be' because rich people stole the money!

Wealthy people are wealthier than ever

If you meant to say the gap between the richest and the poorest is at its widest, that would be accurate

[DCBob]

20. Rich are definitely getting richer and poor getting poorer..

not a good situation for anyone if it leads to political and social instability.

[regnaD kciN]

13. That meme was pretty much thoroughly debunked in the Guardian a couple of days ago...

Yes, life expectancy is rising. But the productivity of French workers has also gone up sharply, and there's more than enough to maintain the current system. This is a choice by the conservatives to begin demolishing France's "welfare state" so conditions for the working classes can be made like right here in the good ol' U. S. of A. They're just using the same "we'll be broke if we don't do something drastic" scare-tactic that Dubya tried to privatize Social Security -- and that the Republicans will use to try to eliminate it altogether if they regain power.

[DCBob]

19. Looks like a very messy situation no matter who is right.

[kenny blankenship]

15. They're heeeeeeeeree!

[DCBob]

18. You're deraaaaaaaaanged!

[blindpig]

10. k&r

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

14. Is Madame DeFarge keeping up with her knitting?

[lovuian]

17. everyone who votes for it should be

voted out and the new one PROMISE to change back the rule

the Conservative governments are revealed
the Worker every time is screwed