THIS STORY HAS BEEN FORMATTED FOR EASY PRINTING

French bill would raise retirement age

Associated Press / July 14, 2010

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PARIS — France’s government has approved a divisive draft law that would raise the retirement age from 60 to 62 in a reform to the money-losing pension system.

Labor Minister Eric Woerth presented the bill to a Cabinet meeting and later took it to the lower house of parliament, which will debate it in September.

Plans for the pension reform have already prompted protests and strikes by unions who see it as an attack on France’s social protections and fear it would penalize low-income workers.

The pension reform is part of efforts in France and around Europe to reduce enormous government debts.

France would still have among the lowest retirement ages in the developed world.