The retirement age of 60 was adopted under François Mitterrand’s regime in 1981. A considerable advance… Before that date, the French stopped working at 65. At the time, life expectancy was not as high as it is today: the age of mortality was set at 45 in 1900, according to Ined. In the 1980s, the French lived to about 75. It was difficult for people who had performed arduous work, particularly in industry, to afford themselves a rest period.
Since the beginning of the year, the government has been challenging this social achievement. In September, deputies adopted the pension reform, which pushes back the legal retirement age to 62. Nearly a month later, the senators followed the same path.
An important social regression
“Instead of reducing inequalities, we are in a society that increases them,” explains sociologist Paul Cuturello. “With the pension reform, we continue to penalize the same people: those with the least income and the lowest income.” It seems that the government is turning to a capitalization retirement system like in the United States. Today’s workers save for their own retirement. The current French system is based on a pay-as-you-go system. The contributions of active workers are used to fund retirees’ pensions. To this is added the impossibility for young people to access the labor market.
A possible alternative?
Instead of lengthening the contribution period, Paul Cuturello, also President of the socialist group in the General Council of the Alpes-Maritimes, suggests that the government might explore other avenues. “We can consider other forms of financing by making resources that do not contribute: capital income and some other revenue resources, particularly from businesses, contribute.” “If we always place the burden of financing pensions solely on the payroll, it is clear that we will not succeed.”
A new national day of mobilization is planned for October 16. “There is a very strong exasperation and anger in society,” notes Paul Cuturello. “The government is very ill-inspired to be uncompromising in the face of a growing mobilization. If it continues to stand firm, I think the situation risks hardening and leading to a blockage of the country. From the moment we no longer give employees a choice and the government closes negotiations, employees will look for other forms of action to make themselves heard nonetheless.”
