France Faces Nationwide Strikes Over Budget Plans
Unions say public workers have lost purchasing power for three straight years as 170 demonstrations are planned nationwide.
- On Tuesday, September 29, 2026, thousands of French public sector workers launched a nationwide strike protesting pay, working conditions, and the government's 2027 budget plans, with more than 100,000 demonstrators expected across 170 locations.
- Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu plans to freeze the public sector pay index for a fourth straight year, a proposal unions called "a real provocation" that threatens purchasing power amid rising inflation.
- FSU-Snuipp reported 40 percent of primary school staff are striking, while teachers, healthcare workers, and firefighters joined the mobilization; the USL student union called for blockades at all high schools nationwide.
- In Paris, demonstrators plan to converge on Place de la Nation following marches from Place de la République and Place d'Italie, though transport services expect "near-normal traffic" despite the widespread protests.
- Ahead of Thursday's budget unveiling, CFDT general secretary Marylise Léon noted "deep anger among public sector employees," who feel fed up with "civil servant bashing," as the strike pressures the government.
62 Articles
62 Articles
The mobilization of a large trade union in France to demand wage increases and adjustment of the 2027 budget, amid anticipated protest movements throughout the country.
At the same time, blockades continue in secondary schools. The movement began last week in establishments around the capital and spread on Monday to other regions.
Barely appointed to one position, many civil servants, whose representatives called for a strike on Tuesday, September 29, are looking for another one in order to improve their premiums, which already represent 25 per cent of their remuneration.
Demonstrations in various cities, containers burned on the streets and schools stopped. France lives a day of strong social protest before the budget proposal of 2027.
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