PARIS, Oct. 9 (UPI) -- The French Senate, in an effort to reduce pension costs, has voted to raise the country's retirement age from 60 to 62, officials said.
The planned reforms would require employees to work for a minimum of 41.5 years to qualify for state pensions, a year longer than presently, the BBC reported Saturday.
The reform plans have angered French labor unions.
The BBC said union leaders have called for a national strike day Oct. 16.
Another proposal would raise the age to receive a full state pension to 67, the report said.
France's budget deficit of 7 percent of gross domestic product is above the 3 percent target set by the European Union, but is less than some EU members, including the UK, Greece, Portugal, Ireland and Spain, the BBC said.
