National strike by civil servants in France to demand a salary increase

A day of national strike. Public sector agents, first and foremost firefighters, are demonstrating this Tuesday across France at the call of a broad inter-union movement, with the ambition of putting pressure on the government, two days before the presentation of the draft budget for 2027.

Scalded by a new freezing of the index point announced at the beginning of September by Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu, the CGT, FO, CFDT, UNSA, FSU, Solidaires, CFE-CGC and FA-FP are organizing more than 170 demonstrations across the country to demand an increase in the salaries of civil servants and “budgetary means commensurate” with the missions of public services.

“The first budget announcements for 2027 pose the threat of new constraints on public services as well as on the remuneration and working conditions of their agents,” lamented the inter-union in a joint press release published at the beginning of September.

The unions are thus demanding “general salary measures, in particular a significant revaluation of the value of the index point and its indexation to inflation”, but also “budgetary resources commensurate with the needs and missions of public services”.

The social movement is supported by the general secretary of the CGT, Sophie Binet, who called for “a black day” against a “regressive” budget project, and by her CFDT counterpart, Marylise Léon. The latter called on Monday the government to “increase civil servants”, who are “fed up with civil servant bashing”.

Schools, transport, hospitals… The effects of the strike will be felt in several sectors. On the National Education side, in primary education, the FSU-SNUipp, the leading union of primary school teachers, expects 40% of strikers.

In transport, the strike should have little impact. On the SNCF side, “SNCF Voyageurs train traffic will be normal on Tuesday September 29 on the TGV and Intercités connections” and “almost normal on the TER”, according to SNCF Voyageurs. In Île-de-France, some disruptions are expected on the RER C and E (3 trains out of 4), on the RER D (between 1 train out of 2 and 1 train out of 3 depending on the branches), as well as on lines R (1 train out of 3, only during peak hours) and V (2 trains out of 3) of the Transilien.

In hospitals, the CGT Santé Social Action has filed a strike notice. The CFDT Santé-Sociaux has joined the movement. The France Travail unions are also calling on their agents to stop work. Already mobilized for several weeks, the firefighters plan to demonstrate this Tuesday. On its website, the CGT lists more than 150 processions planned in 90 departments.

Also read Transport, schools, hospitals… What to expect for the strike day this Tuesday, September 29?