Teachers, nurses, lawyers join French pension strike amid transport stoppage

Jan. 9 (UPI) -- Teachers, district nurses and lawyers joined strikes Thursday against pension changes in France that have resulted in one of the country's longest transport stoppages.

More than 450,000 demonstrators marched in cities like Paris throughout the country and dozens of schools were shut down in the capital as a third of teachers in the country took part in the strike on its 36th day.

There were more than 124 miles of traffic jams in the Pris area on Thursday amid the protests.

A rail stoppage in the country that began Dec. 4 has now become France's longest continuous train strike since the national rail service was created in the 1930s.

Thousands of police also gathered in Paris to prepare for the protests and clashed with demonstrators, firing off tear gas.

Protesters in the capital marched through the streets chanting that they will fight until the government agrees to scrap the proposed pension reform.

The government has said it will create a universal points-based pension system for all, eliminating special systems for a range of union workers. Unions fear the government proposal to raise the retirement age to 64 from 62 will leave people working harder for smaller pensions.

President Emmanuel Macron's last week called for "quick compromise" to end the strike and his government hopes negotiations over the next 24 hours can end the stalemate.

Philippe Martinez of the CGT union was skeptical of the government's intentions.

"Between the government's stance of 'We're talking, everything is on the table' and the reality, you have to wonder if it really intends to take the views of unions into account," Martinez said.