07 September 2010

A nation of crybabies

French unions launched a major strike Tuesday over President Nicolas Sarkozy's plans to raise the retirement age from 60 to 62.

Unions say the government is attacking one of France's most cherished social protections — though a retirement age of 62 would still be among the lowest in Europe.

Neighbouring Germany, for example, has decided to bump up the retirement age from 65 to 67.