On this Tuesday, a wave of mobilization is sweeping across France, as civil servant unions call for a one-day strike to demand salary increases and better working conditions. From the capital to provincial towns, public officials are coming together to make their voices heard and demand fair and necessary salary increases.
The general secretary of the CFDT, Marylise Léon, underlines the importance of real salary negotiations with the government, stressing that expectations are high among the 5.7 million public employees. While ministers teeter on the tightrope of public finances, civil servants denounce a salary freeze for several years and demand an increase commensurate with their commitment.
The mobilization, although less massive than during previous demonstrations, shows a united front of the unions in the face of the government’s social policy. Teachers, on the front line, also denounce the creation of “groups” in college, considered harmful to education and to fight against “academic separatism and social sorting”.
In Paris, the procession will leave from the area around the Jardin du Luxembourg to converge towards the ministerial district, a symbol of the protest by civil servants. Other rallies are planned in front of prefectures and sub-prefectures across the country, illustrating an unprecedented national mobilization.
The government, keen to control public spending, remains inflexible on immediate salary increases, despite repeated calls from unions. Stanislas Guerini, Minister of the Civil Service, discusses the need to establish annual salary negotiations to respond to the demands of public employees.
Faced with tense social dialogue and contested figures, the standoff between civil servants and the government is intensifying. In a climate of growing tension, the outcome of this day of mobilization remains uncertain, but the hope of taking into account the legitimate demands of public officials continues.