Sarkozy says to stick to pension age rise plan

Private and public sector workers attend a demonstration over pension reforms in Paris September 7, 2010. France faces serious rail and air traffic disruption due to strike action as labour unions seek to mobilise millions of protesters against plans to raise retirement age. The strikes, mostly scheduled to last 24 hours and organised to coincide with presentation of a pension reform bill to parliament today, are expected to hit public transport and schools badly. The placards, featuring France's richest woman heiress to the L'Oreal empire Liliane Bettencourt (C), French Labour Minister Eric Woerth (L) and French President Nicolas Sarkozy (R), read ''No more money for pensions, they said. Redistribution of wealth.''

PARIS (Reuters) - French President Nicolas Sarkozy, speaking a day after nationwide protests over pension reforms, said he would not back down on plans to raise the retirement age.

In a statement issued on Wednesday before trade unions meet to decide on possible further protests, Sarkozy said he was asking his government to make some amendments in the pension reform bill but not on the rise in minimum pensionable age.

"There is no question of going back on this," Sarkozy said in the statement, adding that he would ask ministers to prepare other amendments to better cater to people who started working very young or in extremely arduous jobs.

(Editing by Sonya Hepinstall)