The strike -- now longer than the notorious 22-day strike of winter 1995 -- has now lasted 25 days and is on course to surpass the longest transport strike in France which lasted for 28 days in 1986 and early 1987. He accused the CGT of showing a "systematic opposition to any reform, of blocking and sometimes intimidation". But the French are not going to be duped by the extreme-left politicisation of this movement," he added. 'Like Thatcher'But in an interview with the same newspaper, Martinez accused the government of trying to ensure the conflict deteriorated further. The unions are demanding that the government drops a plan to merge 42 existing pension schemes into a single, points-based system.

Source: The Local December 29, 2019 12:22 UTC