France's pension reform: After the protests

We covered France and its economy a couple of weeks ago in class. With the union holding certain power in the labor force, France is still prone to occasional protests and strikes. However, the disruptive power of strikes is no longer as severe as it used to be because the law now guarantees minimum service on public transport and in schools on strike days, and workers who down tools are no longer paid. The real disruption now comes from local union leaders with tactics such as blockades of oil depots or go-slow lorry convoys on motorways. With these events, we can see that it is not easy for the French government to have reforms and changes.