Strike planned in French Polynesia over pension reform

7:46 pm on 1 March 2018
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Photo: RNZ

A general strike has been called in French Polynesia for next Tuesday in a bid to stop pension reform.

A union umbrella group has issued a strike notice for all private and public enterprises, demanding that the reform plan be abandoned.

The stoppage is planned two days before the assembly is due to approve the reform which would hike the retirement age next year from 60 to 62.

The government says it has no option but to change the eligibility criteria to secure the system's survival.

In view of the impending strike, the next pension payment has been brought forward to this week.

The pension issue has been made a campaign issue by the opposition Tahoeraa Huiraatira party which is running in the April election on a platform of promising to keep the retirement age unchanged.

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