Under-fire French Labour and Social Affairs Minister Eric Woerth presented President Nicolas Sarkozy's controversial pension reform to the cabinet Tuesday.
The proposal calls for raising the age of retirement from 60 to 62 years of age by the year 2018 and increases the amount that civil servants will contribute to the pension fund, DPA reported.
On Monday, in a lengthy interview on prime-time television, Sarkozy said the proposal would be voted on in October. However, France's trade unions have vowed to fight the reform with nationwide strikes and protests in the autumn.
Sarkozy also confirmed that Woerth would continue to be responsible for pushing the reform through parliament, despite the allegations that have weakened him.
Among other things, Woerth is alleged to have received 150,000 euros (189,000 dollars) in illegal contributions for Sarkozy's 2007 presidential campaign from France's richest woman, L'Oreal heiress Liliane Bettencourt.
Woerth was treasurer of Sarkozy's UMP party at the time. The online edition of the daily Le Figaro reported Tuesday that he intends to resign from that position, after the president publicly advised him to do so Monday.