The French trade union movement sees the prospect of pension reform as a chance to step in the character, evaluate the associate professor.

Large parts of France on Thursday, hit by the widespread work stoppages in the public sector, and thousands have taken to the streets in protest against the prospect of a pension reform.

the Reform is, however, not only the triggering factor. The main reason is a general distrust of the government.

It assesses the Jørn Boisen, associate professor in the Department of English, Germanic and Romance University.

- the Dissatisfaction is due to a very large degree a lack of confidence to the government can do the right thing. Most of the frenchmen hills in fact that the pension system must be reformed, he says, and adds:

- there is a fear, just, that the way in which the government will do it, is not the right way.

the Strike has hit many sectors of government - including the transport sector, where both trains, metros and planes stationary on Thursday. At the same time, every fifth school closed.

The French trade unions have warned that the strike may be prolonged and may continue up to christmas.

According to Jørn Boisen is that during the strike a lot at stake for the trade union movement, that the last year has been surpassed on several fronts of the grassroots movement The Yellow Jackets.

- The French trade unions have been in agony and have had very little support and very little power. This type of strikes is their ability to have relevance and meaning again, he says.

- It is an interesting tug-of-war in the demonstrations. The Yellow Jackets have run outside of the trade unions. This is an attempt to recapture the agenda from The Yellow Jackets.

while the current strikes are the resistance strength check, however, ultimately between the trade unions and the government.

And because the strikes hitting all frenchmen, both sides are under pressure.

- It puts the Macron (president Emmanuel Macron, red.) under the enormous pressure. It is throughout the country, who are paralyzed, and all are affected in one way or another, says Jørn Boisen and adds:

- the Pressure on the trade union movement is also large, because the strike bothers so many people, so if it pulls out, it remains to be seen which way the majority will gravitate.

Jørn Boisen is convinced, however, that the government will have implemented its pension reform - strikes or not.

- I think the government will implement a reform similar to the proposal which they have put on the table. There is no way around it. The system provides a deficit, and if you fremskriver it, then it will give very large deficit in five years.

- So you have to as a responsible steward to change the system, he says.

/ritzau/