PARIS, Sept. 15 (UPI) -- The French National Assembly voted Wednesday to raise the retirement age and make other changes in the country's pension system.
Pension reform now goes to the Senate, which is scheduled to begin debating the issue Oct. 1, The New York Times reported. The bill, which raises the retirement age from 60 to 62, passed the Assembly 329-233.
President Nicolas Sarkozy, who has made pension reform a critical part of his agenda, made some compromises on the issue. They included allowing workers in some physically taxing jobs and those who entered the workforce young to retire earlier.
But he and his supporters, in the face of angry opposition from unions and left-of-center parties, maintained France can no longer afford its generous retirement system.
"This is one of the most important reforms of this Parliament and presidency," said Jean-Francois Cope, who leads Sarkozy's party in the assembly. "It's about preserving the pension system for our children."
Last week more than 1 million people demonstrated against the bill, and thousands gathered Wednesday outside the assembly building, the BBC reported.
