France’s public-sector union front is now complete: the CFDT, the third-largest union among civil servants, said on Friday 13 November that it will join the public-sector strike on Tuesday 17 November. Every major union now backs the call, a new turn in why France is in crisis after it split the unions earlier this week.
The CFDT decided after Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu received public-sector unions at Matignon, the prime minister’s office in Paris. It says the government’s offer does not amount to real progress.
Key Facts
- What. The CFDT joins the 17 November public-sector strike, so the whole union front now backs it.
- Why. Lecornu offered a one-month pay discussion; unions say it leaves pay below the minimum wage.
- Unknown. No turnout forecast or transport plan has been published for 17 November.
- Next. Protests on Saturday 14 November; talks resume on 11 December.
This story is part of our coverage of the why France is in crisis. Dates, times and how to follow it are in our guide.
Why The CFDT Said Yes
Laure Revel, who leads the CFDT’s public-service branch, called the government’s proposals “insufficient, even non-existent.” The union says hundreds of thousands of public agents will still have base pay below the Smic, France’s minimum wage.
It wants real answers by mid-December and had not called for mobilisation until now. The government still refuses to release enough budget, the CFDT says.
What Lecornu Offered
Lecornu announced a one-month discussion on five workstreams, including emergency measures for low salaries. The office of Public Accounts Minister David Amiel says 1.35 million of 5.8 million public agents are affected.
Of those, 1.1 million already had base pay lifted by the Smic rise announced on Monday, and about 660,000 will still receive a differential allowance. That allowance exists because no civil servant can be paid below the minimum wage.
The government says the package will not endanger its deficit target of 5% of GDP for 2027. It again refused a general rise in the index point, the value that sets civil-service base pay, as it did in July.
Unions Say It Falls Short
Sophie Binet, who leads the CGT, a major union confederation, said the announcements were in “complete disconnect” with public agents’ demands. She wants the strike widened to all employees, retirees and young people.
Caroline Chevé, general secretary of the FSU, a teachers’ and civil-service union, said only about half of the 1.1 million agents would barely reach the Smic. Christian Grolier, of the public-service branch of the Force Ouvrière union, said affected agents stay on the Smic and lose future pension rights, because they do not pay contributions on a Smic-level salary.
Streets And Schools Before Tuesday
About 70,000 police and gendarmes (military police) will be deployed on Saturday 14 November for cost-of-living protests, with 50 to 60 marches planned. In Paris, a route from République to Nation via Bastille is approved and 30,000 to 60,000 people are expected, while the prefect of Lyon, the regional state official, has banned demonstrations in part of the city.
The education ministry says about 10 of roughly 3,700 high schools were blocked on the morning of 13 November, down from a peak of 81 on 5 November. A school-heads’ union has challenged the ministry’s counting method.
Education Minister Édouard Geffray and Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez told rectors (regional education heads) and prefects (state-appointed regional officials) to start disciplinary action systematically and rapidly against students who helped disrupt a school. On Tuesday, Nantes plans a strike rally at 10:00 local time at the Miroir d’eau.
What Prediction Markets Say
Polymarket, a crypto-based prediction market, priced Marine Le Pen at 47.3% to win the next French presidential election as of 4:22 p.m. ET on 13 November, with about US$174 million traded. Cannes mayor David Lisnard stood at 18.9% and left-wing leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon at 14%.
These prices are bets, not polls, and can move within minutes of news. Why we show this: prediction markets turn real-money bets into a live probability that moves within minutes of the news, which is why investors, campaigns and newsrooms in the United States now follow them closely.
We show them next to polls and official results, never instead of them.
What It Means for You
A united union front raises the odds of heavy disruption on Tuesday, so travellers to France should check rail and school notices and avoid protest routes. Investors in French government debt will watch whether the pay talks on 11 December stay inside the 2027 deficit target.
What Is Not Known
No turnout forecast or strike rate has been published for 17 November, and transport operators had not released their forecasts. We found no November poll from a named institute on support for the strike.
Force Ouvrière’s own strike notice is not confirmed in our sources. The Paris route for 17 November has not yet been validated by the prefecture.
Sources
Union statements and government announcements of 13 November; French education and interior ministries; Polymarket (13 November, 4:22 p.m. ET).
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated AI newsroom. Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Publisher and Editor-in-Chief. The Rio Times also runs Ask Rio Times, which answers from 100,000+ of our own articles, the daily Latin America Power Map, and prediction-market odds on elections and markets.. How we use AI · Report an error
France in Turmoil
- Why France Is in Crisis, and How Macron Lost His Grip
- Why Is France Protesting? Riots, Curfews and the 2027 Race
- Is It Safe to Travel to France Right Now? Curfews, Strikes
- Le Pen Leads France’s Election Polls at 36%
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is the CFDT unhappy with the government’s proposals?
The CFDT says the proposals are not real progress and that hundreds of thousands of agents will still earn base pay below the Smic. It also says the government refuses to release enough budget.
When do talks with the government resume?
Lecornu will receive the unions again on 11 December, after the elections for staff representatives in the public service. He aims to seal advances by mid-December.