French Unions Split Over 17 November Strike

France’s unions are no longer marching in step. Six of them have called a new strike and march day for Tuesday, 17 November 2026, while two big rivals hold back; it is the latest chapter in France protests that have run for weeks.

The call came after a government social conference on 9 November at Matignon, the prime minister’s office in Paris. For readers abroad, it is a first sign of whether French strike pressure is fading or being rebuilt.

A Divided Front Calls a New Strike

The CGT (General Confederation of Labour, a major union), Solidaires, Unsa, FAFP (a public-service union federation), CFE-CGC (a managers’ union) and FSU (a teachers’ union) are behind the call. The CFDT and FO, two other large union confederations, have not joined so far.

Both are waiting for a government meeting on public-service pay on Friday, 13 November. Public-sector unions also called their own strike for 17 November over the freeze on the point d’indice, the index that sets civil-service pay.

Sophie Binet, who leads the CGT, urged all employees, retirees and young people to make 17 November “a new major day of strike and demonstration”. No start time or route has been published.

What the Government Offered

Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu said the Smic will rise 1.6% on 1 December 2026, one month ahead of its automatic indexation. The government’s discretionary boost on top of that is put at 0.4% to 0.6%.

Labour minister Jean-Pierre Farandou asked industry branches to open pay talks the week of 16 November. A decree published on 10 November lets the state penalise branches whose minimum pay falls below the Smic, and it applies from 2027.

The government also plans to raise the income-tax exemption ceiling on overtime pay from €7,500 to €10,000 (about US$8,400 to US$11,100, at the RT rate of about US$1.11 per euro on 11 November). It also plans to extend the profit-sharing bonus to about 1.5 million more employees, and to reform employer contribution reliefs known as niches sociales.

How the Unions Responded

Binet called the overtime and bonus measures “gifts to employers”. On the decree, she said: “At best, companies would be sanctioned in 2028.”

Frédéric Souillot, head of FO (Force Ouvrière, a union confederation), said “the dogma of the boost has fallen”, a partial nod to the Smic rise. Marylise Léon, who leads the CFDT (a reformist confederation), called the 1.6% “insufficient in light of our expectations” but welcomed the earlier timing.

The Calendar Ahead

The next fixed dates are the public-service pay meeting on 13 November, branch talks from the week of 16 November and the strike on 17 November. No hours have been published for any of them.

For background, see why France is in crisis.

What It Means for US Readers

Travellers and businesses with plans in France around 17 November should expect possible rail, school and public-service disruption and check carrier notices closer to the date. Whether the CFDT and FO join will show how broad the movement is.

What Is Not Known

The government has not formally answered the 17 November call, and it is not known whether the CFDT or FO will join. The time and venue of the 13 November pay meeting have not been published.

Turnout for the 10 November education and youth strike is unavailable. We found no new poll by a named institute dated November.

Frequently Asked Questions

When is the next French strike day?

Unions have called a strike and march day for Tuesday, 17 November 2026. No start time has been published.

Which unions are not joining the 17 November strike?

The CFDT and FO have not joined so far. Both are waiting for the 13 November government meeting on public-service pay.

What did the government offer on 9 November?

Prime Minister Lecornu said the minimum wage will rise 1.6% from 1 December 2026. The government also plans tax relief on overtime pay and branch pay talks from the week of 16 November.

Sources: French government announcements of 9 and 10 November 2026 (Matignon, Journal officiel); statements by the CGT, Unsa-FP, FO and CFDT; The Rio Times reporting.

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