[size=55:3gebape8]novinite 28 October 2010

New France Pension Strike Cancels All Bulgarian Flights

All flights from Bulgaria to France have been cancelled as French unions and protesters are mounting another day of strikes and action over the government's pension reform.

The airlines, servicing the flights – Wizz Air, Air France and Bulgaria Air – urged their passengers to get up-to-date information about the status of the flights to and from France through their websites.

Thursday will be the seventh day of action since the beginning of the dispute over pension reform.

Protest leaders are aiming to organize marches in about 100 French towns and cities, in concert with strikes by public sector unions.

Aviation officials predict half of flights at Paris Orly airport will be cancelled and 30% at other airports.

Trains, post offices, schools and public services will all be affected again.

Union leaders say they will also pursue the protest in other ways.

The National Assembly, France's lower house, voted the bill to raise the pension age by two years, from 60 to 62 by 336 votes for to 233 against.

The upper house, the Senate, backed the bill by 177 votes to 151 on Tuesday.

Prime Minister Francois Fillon sought to draw a line under the protests, urging opponents to respect the will of parliament.

The strike actions are expected to be renewed on November 6.

Compared with pensioners from the UK, the French have nothing to moan about. Us Brits have to work far longer and get paid the 4th worst pensions in all of Europe. The next rise for pensioners in the UK is nothing to write home about either. So the French should consider themselves lucky compared with us poor impoverished Brits.

You are quite right Itchyfeet, it is such a dreadful shame for those people who have worked all their live and paid their dues have to be reduced to nothing less than begging for small returns, and I do mean 'small returns' When they do get any form of increase/amendment, they are no better off as it appears another organisation will claim it back for something or another. I work in pension complaints and hear this all day long - in one had out the other, we are no better off etc etc.

It is very disheartening and demotivating for our pensioners - perhaps they should consider doing what the French are doing, you never know, we might learn a lesson or two.

Oddy