French strikes cripple airports

FRENCH unions are staging mass protests today, over planned changes to the national retirement age, strikes that are crippling flights into French airports.

Half the flights at Paris Orly have been cancelled and 40 per cent at Charles de Gaulle airport (right). This compares to only a quarter during the earlier strikes in September.

French workers are complaining that plans to increase the retirement age from 60 to 62 place an unfair burden on workers, instead of being shared equally with employers. French President Nicolas Sarkozy said the reform will save the country €70 billion by 2030.

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