# French pension and labor reform negotiations > Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/french-pension-and-labor-reform-negotiations > Updated: 2026-09-18T15:56:25.000Z. Sources: 8. Developments: 2. A six-month conference on labor, employment, and pensions in France has concluded, resulting in a nearly 200-page report submitted to the Prime Minister. The conference followed the suspension of the 2023 pension reform and sought to establish a basis for future negotiations. A central proposal involves the introduction of an ‘equilibrium age’ (âge d’équilibre). This mechanism would allow individuals to retire earlier by accepting a ‘dissuasive’ pension discount or retire later to receive a bonus, with the threshold potentially adjusting based on life expectancy. The report also addresses professional hardship (pénibilité), suggesting collective mechanisms to presume hardship for certain roles and end-of-career medical examinations. The reception of these proposals is deeply divided among social partners. While Labor Minister Jean-Pierre Farandou welcomed the report, and some unions like the CFDT expressed cautious optimism, others have been highly critical. The Solidaires union rejected the ‘equilibrium age’ as a ‘hypocritical way to postpone the retirement age without reform’ and denounced the process as ‘variable geometry social democracy.’ Additionally, the Medef employer organization did not participate in the conference. ## Timeline ### 2026-09-18: France concludes labor and pension conference amid union division A six-month French conference on labor and pensions has concluded with a 200-page report, sparking divided reactions from unions and employers over retirement age and pension capitalization. 2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/france-concludes-labor-and-pension-conference-amid-union-division ### 2026-09-18: French pension conference proposes equilibrium age for retirement The Conférence Travail Emploi Retraites has proposed an ‘equilibrium age’ for pensions, allowing earlier retirement with significant discounts, alongside new measures to address professional hardship. 6 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/french-pension-conference-proposes-equilibrium-age-for-retirement --- Cite as: French pension and labor reform negotiations. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/french-pension-and-labor-reform-negotiations