每日跟讀#743: French government spells out pension plan to calm strikes

France’s prime minister said Wednesday that the full retirement age will be increased for the country’s youngest, but offered concessions in an ill-fated effort to calm a nationwide protest against pension reforms that critics say will erode the nation’s way of life.

法國總理週三宣布，政府將對國內最年輕的世代提高法定退休年齡，但同時也做出讓步，只是仍然無法平息全國各地針對年金改革的抗議。批評者認為，年金改革將侵蝕法國的生活方式。

The government is trying to make the pensions system sustainable and simpler but is facing public pressure, including a week of the most debilitating transport strikes in decades.

法國政府試圖讓該國的年金制度得以永續發展，並且將其簡化，卻同時面臨公眾壓力，包括持續一整個星期、堪稱數十年來影響最嚴重的交通運輸業大罷工。

All metro lines bar two were closed and many train routes remained canceled as unions dug in their heels against President Emmanuel Macron, whom they accuse of shaping policies in favor of the rich.

地鐵全面停駛，只剩兩條路線仍在營運，許多火車班次繼續停開，因為工會下定決心拒絕向總統艾曼紐‧馬克宏妥協，他們指控馬克宏制定政策來圖利富人。

Prime Minister Edouard Philippe detailed the pension reforms in a speech on Wednesday in central Paris, saying that the French “will need to work longer.” People born after 1974 will have to work until the age of 64 to get a full pension, instead of 62 previously. Those born before that date will not be affected in any way, he said.

法國總理艾德華‧菲利普週三在巴黎的一場演講中詳細說明了年金改革制度，並表示法國人「將會必須工作久一點」。他指出，一九七四年之後出生的人將要工作到六十四歲才能領到全額年金，而非現行規定的六十二歲，而該日期之前出生的人將不會受到任何影響。

The system replaces a complicated pension system that included dozens of special privileges for some sectors, like public transport, with one set of rules for all.

新制度將以一套全體適用的規則取代現行複雜的年金制度，現行制度中包含數十種給予大眾運輸等行業的特別優惠。

Philippe said the changes would ensure the pension system is “fair and sustainable” in the face of a growing population with a record number of people over 90.

菲利普總理表示，面臨逐漸增加的人口、超過九十歲的人數破紀錄，這項改變將會確保年金制度「公平而且能夠永續維持」。

Many French people and the unions leading the strikes fear the new system will force people to work longer for smaller pension allocations.

許多法國人，以及主導罷工的工會，都相當擔心這項新制度將會強迫人們工作得更久，最後卻只能換來較少的年金分配額。

Source article: http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang/archives/2019/12/14/2003727491