The Senate in France has voted in favour of the government’s proposed increase to the retirement age, while strike action has continued across France this week over the government’s plans.

The government in France has been trying to push through reforms to the country’s pension system, including gradually raising the retirement age from 62 to 64.

This proposal in particular has prompted widespread strikes across the nation over the past two months, with French protestors again taking to the streets this week.

There have been reports of fuel deliveries being blocked from all French refineries and cancelled flights and trains, with an estimated 24 per cent of public sector workers taking industrial action.

According to police estimates, between 1.1 million and 1.4 million would take part in the 260 protests across the country this week.

Despite the protests, the bill has continued making its way through parliament, with the Senate voting in favour of the raising the retirement age by 201 votes to 115.

The Senate has until Sunday to finalise the legislation, and the debate will resume later today (9 March).

French president, Emmanuel Macron, has described the reforms as essential to make the nation’s pension system more affordable, with the system forecast to run at a deficit in its current state.

The proposed pension age reform process is scheduled to start in September, reaching 63 years and three months by 2027 and hitting the target age of 64 in 2030.

Alongside the raising of the retirement age, several other proposals were presented as part of the reforms.

The amount of time working needed to receive a full pension will rise from 42 years to 43 and a guaranteed minimum pension income will be introduced.

This income level will be set at no less than 85 per cent of minimum wage for new retirees.

Public sector workers in mentally or physically demanding jobs will keep the right to retire earlier than the wider workforce, but their retirement age will rise at the same rate.

The government also announced that differing retirement ages and pension benefits for certain workforces, such as rail workers, would end.

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