20 Mar 2019

First concessions as New Caledonia strike enters third day

10:50 am on 20 March 2019

A public sector strike in New Caledonia has entered a third day as concessions appear to be made.

Noumea

Noumea Photo: RNZ Walter Zweifel

Unions have been demanding a 20 percent pay rise to cope with the high cost of living and what they say is a 20 percent loss of purchasing power over the past decade.

Two of the three main anti-independence groups in the Congress have given written undertakings to uphold their purchasing power.

The union action has in part been timed to precede the election in May of a new Congress for a five-year term.

The strike has seen fewer protesters yesterday than on Monday but disruptions continue.

Affected are postal services and domestic aviation.

The strike applies to public sector workers on New Caledonia's payroll and not those of the French state.

On Friday, another demonstration is planned against plans to raise the retirement age from 60 to 62.

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