School closures, municipal service disruptions and slower healthcare could all be on the cards if France’s major trade unions go through with their planned strike on Thursday 5th December. The action is being undertaken in response to government rulings on the extension of the controversial three-day waiting period before sick leave is paid out, as well as a reduction in sick pay and job cuts in the public sector.
Seven out of France’s eight major unions – the CGT, CFDT, UNSA, FSU, Solidaires, CFE-CGC and FA-FP – are calling on civil servants to demonstrate on Thursday 5th December in a show of solidarity against a range of recently introduced government policies.
The strike aims to challenge a number of punitive measures affecting civil servants. The reforms under scrutiny include the extension of the waiting period for sick leave to three days, a reduction in sick pay from 100% to 90% and significant job cuts planned for 2025.
These “Kasbarian Reforms” – the name given by the unions to the controversial set of measures being spearheaded by Guillaume Kasbarian, France’s Minister of Civil Service, Simplification and Transformation of Public Action – have sparked widespread outrage.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Michel Barnier’s announcement of a €1.2 billion cut to the 2025 civil service budget has further fuelled discontent, with unions warning of severe consequences for public services.
In a statement on its website, FSU06 criticised the government’s rhetoric of “debureaucratisation”, describing it as “civil servant bashing” and accusing the administration of scapegoating workers while ignoring systemic fiscal injustices.
SECTORS AFFECTED
Workers from France’s public education sector are expected to be at the heart of the actions, with many elementary schools and crèches likely to remain closed. For schools that remain open, canteens may still be shuttered.
Unions have pointed to the elimination of 4,000 positions in schools and reduced sick leave compensation for teaching and school staff as emblematic of the government’s disregard for the sector’s needs.
Beyond education, certain municipal services will face significant disruptions. Town halls are expected to operate with limited reception capacity, and citizens are advised to postpone administrative tasks. Hospital staff are participating in the strike too, although emergency care will remain operational, and railway workers represented by participating unions are also expected to join the nationwide action.
In Nice, protestors are set to gather at 10am in the Jardin Albert Ier before marching through Avenue de Verdun, Avenue Jean Médecin and Avenue de la Libération. Similar marches are being planned in the Bouches-du-Rhône, Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, Hautes-Alpes and Vaucluse departments.
MORE TO COME?
The unions are framing the upcoming strike as the launchpad for sustained resistance through the end of the year, with a warning that Thursday’s strike may be only the beginning.
The rallying cry of “Everyone on strike on 5th December” reflects their combined determination to resist the government’s reforms. In addition to opposing Kasbarian’s measures, unions are calling for salary increases, the restoration of the guaranteed individual purchasing power allowance (GIPA) and an official status for assistants for pupils with disabilities.
Read related:
Monaco Life is produced by real multi-media journalists writing original content. See more in our free newsletter, follow our Podcasts on Spotify, and check us out on Threads, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Tik Tok.
Photo credit: Victor Salazar, Pixabay