French unions, including public sector unions representing firefighters, have organised nationwide strikes against government austerity this autumn: demanding a tax on the super-rich to fund services.
Up to one million demonstrators took part in a strike across France on 18 September. And protesters took to the streets of more than 200 towns and cities across France on 2 October, calling for an end to government cuts.
The Confédération Générale du Travail (CGT) is one of the largest unions in France and represents many firefighters alongside workers from across the public sector. “We need to... end for good all the sacrifices being demanded of workers that were set out in the (last) budget proposal,” CGT secretary general Sophie Binet told BFM TV.
The European Trade Union Confederation found that France had lost over 5,000 firefighters to cuts between 2021–2022. Trade unions are also demanding a suspension of changes to pensions, which increased the age of retirement and was pushed through the French parliament in 2023.
The French prime minister, Sébastien Lecornu, resigned in October following a month of turmoil. President Emmanuel Macron continues to face heavy criticism for proposing further cuts
