France faces massive strikes over pension reform

French trade unions are heading for what is expected to be a decisive showdown with President Emmanuel Macron over pension reform, with massive strikes from March 7 aiming to bring the country "to a standstill."

After five separate days of protests so far this year, this week's stoppages herald a new phase in the battle between the centrist government and opponents of the changes.

"We always said that we would go into a higher gear if necessary," the head of the influential CGT union, Philippe Martinez, told the Journal du Dimanche newspaper on March 5. "It will be the case on Tuesday."

More than 260 demonstrations are expected nationwide, many in small and medium-sized towns where opposition to the reform is strong, while strikes will affect transport, the energy sector and public services.

Police expect between 1.1-1.4 million people to hit the streets, a source told AFP on condition of anonymity.

The upper limit of that range would represent the biggest day of protests in decades, higher than the 1.27 million who took part in demonstrations on Jan. 31, and bigger than previous pension reform protests in 2010.

Unions representing workers on the national SNCF railways, the Paris metro and the energy sector, including refineries, have called for rolling strikes for the first time, with other industries expected to join in.

All eight major unions are seeking to bring the country "to a standstill," with shopkeepers encouraged to down their shutters.

Only one in five regional and long-distance trains will run on March 7, the SNCF said.

Macron's plan to raise the official age of retirement from 62 to 64 is a flagship policy of his second term in office, which began last year after he defeated far-right...