More strike action announced in French Polynesia

7:45 am on 19 February 2018

Unions in French Polynesia have announced that they will hold a second general strike this week against planned pension reform.

A union umbrella group has given notice to take action on Thursday in a new bid to force the government to abandon the reform.

Three days ago, an estimated 2,500 people joined a rally outside the territorial assembly as part of a general strike.

The action had only mixed support, with local administrations hardly affected by the stoppage.

Last week, the president Edouard Fritch convened a special government meeting which rebuffed the union demands and decided to uphold the reform plan.

It is now with an assembly commission and expected to be debated in early March.

The plan is to raise the retirement age next year from 60 to 62 and to hike contributions.

Mr Fritch said the reform was needed to avert a catastrophe, adding that there would be a revolution in a couple of years if pensions were no longer paid.

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