Strikes, protests hit France in round 2 of pension battle


              Demonstrators hold a banner reading: "Withdrawal of this unfair pension reform" during a protest march, in Bayonne, southwestern France, Tuesday, Jan. 31, 2023. French labor leaders hope to bring more than 1 million demonstrators into the streets again in the latest clash of wills with the government over plans to push back France's retirement age. (AP Photo/Bob Edme)
            
              Railways are deserted at the Strasbourg train station, in Strasbourg, eastern France, Tuesday, Jan. 31, 2023. France's national rail operator is recommending that passengers stay home Tuesday to avoid strikes over pension reforms that are expected to cause major transport woes but largely spare high-speed links to Britain, Belgium and the Netherlands. Labor unions are hoping to maintain pressure on government plans to raise France's retirement age. (AP Photo/Jean Francois Badias)
            
              Demonstrator of the CGT union wearing a railway worker jacket holds a flare during a protest march, in Bayonne, southwestern France, Tuesday, Jan. 31, 2023. French labor leaders hope to bring more than 1 million demonstrators into the streets again in the latest clash of wills with the government over plans to push back France's retirement age. (AP Photo/Bob Edme)
Strikes, protests hit France in round 2 of pension battle