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As France returns to work after the long, for some very long, summer holidays, predictably certain French unions are clearly opposed to the idea that they should do so.

On Tuesday 7 September at least two of France’s major unions are planning public sector strikes   affecting transport, schools and communications.  Although the unions represent less than 10% of the workforce they have the power and the desire to bring the country to its knees and to inconvenience as many of the country’s citizens as possible.

This time the protest is aimed at Sarkozy’s plans for pension reform and a plan to increase the retirement age in the public sector from 60 to 62. Many people will wonder on which planet the unions and public sector workers think they are living.

In most European countries the retirement age is already around 65 and there are plans to increase this in the UK for example, to 67 in reasonably short order.

France as one of the worst public sector deficits in Europe but according to Newsweek:

“France’s powerful unions are intent on keeping the country’s generous social safety nets in place,. But the truth is that the economic downturn has accelerated France’s pension crisis exponentially, and the French way of life is more unsustainable than ever”.

The pension issue is one that the French government cannot afford to lose; we wonder if the French public will nevertheless simply accept that the strikes will occur whatever the inconvenience , and tacitly support their striking comrades.