France Hit by Mass Strikes and Protests Over Pay and Cost of Living
French unions called workers, students and retirees into the streets on Thursday, with up to 780,000 demonstrators expected across France.
France braced for one of its biggest days of industrial action in years on Thursday, as trade unions called a nationwide strike covering both the public and private sectors, backed by students, pensioners, farmers and the Yellow Vest movement.
The strike was prompted by widespread anger over wages and the rising cost of living. It marked the first joint public-and-private-sector walkout since the summer break, and quickly gathered momentum across French society.
Marylise Leon, general secretary of the CFDT, one of France's largest trade union confederations, said she expected a strong turnout, drawing comparisons to the pension reform protests of 2023. Those demonstrations, which ran for several months, drew close to 1.3 million people on peak days according to official figures.
For Thursday's action, French authorities anticipated between 500,000 and 700,000 protesters outside Paris, and between 40,000 and 80,000 in the capital. Interior Minister Laurent Nunez announced the mobilisation of 70,000 police officers and gendarmes nationwide, pledging an extremely firm response to any disorder.
The movement extended well beyond traditional union members. High school and university students, who had already begun their own protest movement in mid-September, joined the call. So did members of the Yellow Vest movement, which reignited its demonstrations against the high cost of living three Saturdays ago. Farmers affiliated with the Confederation Paysanne, a left-leaning agricultural union, also expressed support.
The French government was under pressure to offer concrete responses on purchasing power and public sector pay, though it had not announced any new measures ahead of the day of action.
This story is relevant to Mauritians with family ties in France, those following international labour trends, and anyone monitoring global economic pressures that also affect small island economies like Mauritius.
Source: ION News
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are workers striking in France?β
French workers, students and retirees took to the streets on Thursday over demands for higher wages and relief from the rising cost of living. It was the first nationwide strike covering both public and private sectors since the summer, organised by major unions including the CFDT.
How many people were expected to protest in France on Thursday?β
French authorities estimated between 500,000 and 700,000 demonstrators outside Paris and between 40,000 and 80,000 in the capital. The Interior Ministry deployed 70,000 police and gendarmes across the country.
Who joined the French strike beyond union workers?β
In addition to public and private sector workers, the protest drew high school and university students, the Yellow Vest movement, and farmers from the Confederation Paysanne, a French agricultural union representing smaller-scale producers.
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