France braces for further strikes over pension changes
(The Guardian France)

Transport chaos continues as government stands firm in face of nationwide protestsFrench unions are staging a second round of mass street demonstrations as the country entered its sixth day of a nationwide strike and transport standstill over proposed plans to change the pensions system.The government´s standoff with unions continued as the prime minister, Édouard Philippe, said he would stand firm and announce details of the pension changes on Wednesday, with speculation over possible concessions on the start date in order to diffuse growing tensions on the streets.A grassroots citizens´ protest movement began in early November 2018 against a planned rise in the tax on diesel and petrol, which Emmanuel Macron insisted would aid the country´s transition to green energy. A poll at the time found that the price of fuel had become France´s biggest talking point. Continue reading...