West Europe workers demonstrate against cuts to retirement benefits. (General).

FRANKFURT -- Angered by proposals of their governments to change the national pensions systems by cutting retirement benefits or by making people work longer, thus raising the retirement age, unionized workers across much of Western Europe, from France to Austria, shut down transportation systems in early June to protest their governments' proposals.

The strikes were designed to coincide with the meeting of the G-8 leaders in Evian-les-Bains Subway systems, ports, trains, toll roads and airlines were all affected by the walkouts and blockades.

French workers are protesting their government's plan to overhaul the pension system which would require workers to pay into the state pension plan for 40 years instead of the current 37.5 years before they qualify for retirement benefits, while in Austria the government plans to reduce pensions by 11 per cent.

"The current proposals will weaken the system and increase inequalities," said Bernard Thibault, president of the GCT, one of France's major labour federations.

However, neither the French nor Austrian governments showed any sign of backing down from their proposals.

"This is about the survival of the republic," said French prime minister, Jean-Pierre Raffarin.

Echoing Raffarin's sentiment, Austrian officials said that with shaky public finances and an aging population, they had no choice but to make drastic cuts.

"We are all living longer, there are fewer children," said Elisabeth Geherer, the Austrian minister of education and science. "You can't strike against demographic developments like that."