France’s most powerful hydroelectric power plant, Grand’Maison, located in the southeast of the country, has been shut down in protest against the authorities’ proposed pension reform.
According to BFMTV, the work of the hydroelectric power plant located in the department of Isère was shut down late the night before.
“The CGT union continues its protests in the field of electricity production and distribution, opposing the reform project. … The decision about this action was made at a meeting of striking employees”, – noted the TV channel.
The design capacity of this hydroelectric power plant is 1,800 megawatts, or 9% of all hydroelectric power plants operated in France by Électricité de France (EDF).
On December 5, France began a nationwide open-ended strike against the government’s pension reform, as a result of which some categories of French, including workers in the transport sector, may lose a number of privileges and special retirement regimes.
As a result of the strike throughout the country, the work of public transport – metro, trains and trains – was significantly disrupted. During this period, there were several large-scale protests in Paris and other French cities. The draft law on pension reform will be submitted to the French Parliament in February.