Anger boils over: French civil servants plan major strikes against government reforms

On December 5, French civil servants, including teachers, nurses, and municipal workers, will take to the streets in protest against proposed budget reforms outlined in the Finance Bill for 2025.

These reforms include cuts to sick leave payments for civil servants, which unions argue disproportionately affect public sector employees, Caliber.Az reports, citing The Local.

Thousands are expected to join protests across several major cities, including Paris, where demonstrations will begin at 14:00 local time in the Bercy neighbourhood and march toward Place d'Italie.

School closures and educational disruptions

A significant portion of the protests will involve teachers’ unions, including FSU, UNSA Éducation, and SUD Éducation. The unions have warned that schools and kindergartens will likely be closed, with the FSU-SNUipp primary teachers' union predicting that 65% of teachers across France will strike. In certain regions, such as Vienne, Côte d'Armor, and Seine-Saint-Denis, strike participation may be even higher, reaching up to 79%.

Union spokesperson Guislaine David remarked, "School teachers are highly mobilized for this strike, everyone feels disadvantaged, and the anger is building."

Healthcare workers join the protest

Nurses and healthcare workers will also join the nationwide action. At Charpin Hospital in Villeurbanne, near Lyon, nurses plan to strike on 5 December, although emergency services will continue. Scheduled appointments may be postponed.

Impact on local government and administrative services

Municipal employees are expected to strike as well, leading to disruptions at town halls, tax offices, and other government services. Delays or cancellations of administrative services should be anticipated, including at prefectures.

Police and energy sector workers protest

The National Union of Police Officers (SNAP) has called for a strike, adding to the broad-based participation. Additionally, workers in the energy sector, including electricity and gas, are joining the protest to demand higher wages. However, according to Le Figaro, the strikes in the energy sector are unlikely to cause significant disruption.

Railways workers strike in December

Although railway and public transport workers will not join the strike on December 5, they have announced plans to protest from December 11 against the privatisation of France's railways. If the strikes gain traction, they could disrupt travel during the busy Christmas period, causing delays and cancellations.

This nationwide mobilization is a clear expression of widespread dissatisfaction with the government's proposed budget cuts and reforms, with civil servants across France demanding better working conditions and fairer treatment under the new financial policies.

By Tamilla Hasanova