The French government assessed the damage caused to the national budget by striking workers. According to Agence France-Presse, France’s Finance Minister Christine Lagarde said October 25 that strikes cost France 200-400 mln euro every day. In September a wave of protest actions swept across France. In some regions of the country the strikes resulted in unrests and numerous police encounters. In Paris the protests of municipal workers affected the circulation of public transport. The strikes hampered considerably air and rail transportation. October 15 oil refining factories joined the strikes, which resulted in fuel deficit in France and posed the country at risk of a transportation crisis. It was not until the police interfered that the work of the major petrol supplier of Île-de-France - Grandpuits – was resumed. The grievance of the French was brought about by a bill, raising the retirement age from 60 up to 62. September 15 it was approved by the French National Assembly, the lower house of the parliament. October 22 the bill was admitted by the Senate of France. The final voting is slated for October 27. If the bill is given final approval it is to be passed to President Nicolas Sarcozy to sign. October 21 Jean Pelin, Director General of Chemical Industries Association in France, said that the strikes had already cost the sector an estimated billion euros in lost turnover, around 100 million euros for each new strike day. In his opinion, this is a heavy blow for the economy, recovering from the global economic crisis.