French labour minister says raising pensions age is 'non-negotiable' despite mass protests

FILE PHOTO: A general view shows protesters, members of French Socialist party and members of the EELV ecologist party gathering at Place d'Italie during a demonstration against French government's pension reform plan in Paris as part of a day of national strike and protests in France, January 31, 2023. REUTERS/Benoit Tessier

PARIS (Reuters) - French Labour Minister Oliver Dussopt said on Wednesday that raising the retirement age to 64 was "non-negotiable", a day after more than a million people marched in protest at the proposed measure and a union leader called for rolling strikes.

Opinion polls show a substantial majority in France oppose increasing the retirement age to 64 from 62, a move President Emmanuel Macron argues is vital to ensuring the viability of the pension system.