France’s parliament has given final approval to a bill to raise the retirement age from 60 to 62, a reform that has sparked weeks of strikes and street protests.
The National Assembly approved the final text of the bill in a 336—233 vote on Wednesday, marking its final hurdle in parliament. Conservative President Nicolas Sarkozy is not expected to sign it for several weeks.
The vote comes as two straight weeks of pension strikes are losing momentum. Still, unions hope to revive the movement on Thursday with nationwide street demonstrations and strikes expected to cause new hassles for air travelers.
