France Faces Nationwide Strikes Over Budget Plans
- On Tuesday, September 29, 2026, France's eight major public sector unions launched a nationwide strike, with over 100,000 demonstrators participating in approximately 170 planned demonstrations across the country.
- The mobilization aims to pressure Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu before his 2027 budget unveiling, as unions oppose plans to freeze the civil servant pay index for a fourth consecutive year.
- Teachers joined the strike in force, with 40 percent of staff in preschools and primary schools participating, while public hospital unions mobilized and firefighters protested a "general lack of resources."
- Transport services remained largely functional, with The SNCF reporting "near-normal traffic" and most metro lines operating as planned, though the CGT-RATP called for an indefinite strike.
- Reflecting deep-seated grievances, public sector employees stated they are "fed up with civil servant bashing," with the scale of demonstrations comparable to major mobilizations from December 2024.
117 Articles
117 Articles
On Tuesday 29 September, just a few days from the discussions in the National Assembly on the state budget, several trade union organisations called for mobilization throughout France.
An unprecedented alliance of eight unions brought together public employees, firefighters, police, teachers and students against the wage freeze and an adjustment of 54 billion euros
On Tuesday, the French government faced the first demonstrations of an autumn in which several factors of social anger converge: the high price of gasoline and the government’s willingness to apply cuts of 54 billion euros. Between more than 300,000 (according to the unions) and 206,000 people (Ministry of the Interior) have protested in 170 cities on this day of strikes in various sectors of the public service. Although the figures of protester…
According to the CGT union, this day of mobilization brought together more than 300,000 demonstrators across France.
Le Journal de Montreal
Le Journal de QuebecThousands of public officials, including firefighters, planned to protest in France on Tuesday against the decline in their purchasing power.
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