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STRIKES

Why French unions are planning strikes on Tuesday and how it could affect you

French trade unions have called for strikes on Tuesday in an ongoing dispute over the government's reform to unemployment benefits - union leaders also want to put "social issues" on the campaign agenda for the 2022 presidential elections.

Published: 4 October 2021 16:48 CEST
Updated: 5 October 2021 10:28 CEST
Protesters demand the 'withdrawal of the unemployment insurance reform' in Paris on March 26th.
Protesters demand the 'withdrawal of the unemployment insurance reform' in Paris on March 26th. French workers will once again protest the reform on October 5th. Photo: Bertrand GUAY / AFP.

Who is going on strike? 

A number of leading French trade unions including the CGT, FO, Solidaires and the FSU have called for strikes on Tuesday. 

They are calling for all workers across the public and private sectors, as well as students, to down tools.

The CFDT, which has the largest membership of any trade union, has not called on its members to strike. 

Why are they striking? 

A reform to unemployment benefits appears to have been the trigger for this strike. October 1st marked the implementation of a new system which will likely see unemployed people receive less money from the state. 

READ MORE: How unemployment benefits in France are changing in October

Besides scrapping this reform, the unions are demanding a number of measures including:

  • Increased salaries
  • A scrapping of proposed pension reforms
  • Professional equality between men and women
  • A halt on redundancies and tighter enforcement of labour laws
  • A halt on privatisation and closure of public services

Speaking on France Inter over the weekend, Philippe Martinez, head of the CGT, suggested that with the presidential election fast approaching, he wanted “social questions to be at the heart of the campaign”.

This view was echoed by the head of the FO, Yves Veyrier, speaking on France 2.

“On October 5th, it is in our interest to send a strong signal,” he said, before making reference to the upcoming electoral process. 

“We need workers to mobilise at the moment. We need to have everyone show that we do not intend to let things slide.” 

Strike action is certainly one way to shape the agenda and could have an influence on manifesto pledges in the build up to the April 2022 election. 

How will this affect me? 

200 strike meetings have been convened across the country. You can see if your city will be affected by checking the interactive map at the bottom of this page. 

In Paris, a procession will set off from Place de la République at 14h, heading in the direction of Opéra, before finishing at the corner of Rue La Fayette and Rue de la Chaussée d’Antin. Police have yet to confirm road closures but they would appear likely within the 3rd, 9th, 10th and 11th arrondissements on Tuesday afternoon. Traffic may be slower than usual in the rest of the city, depending on the scale of the procession. 

Workers from the public transport companies SNCF and RATP will join the strike leading to minor disruption.

TGV, Thalys, Eurostar and Lyria rail services will be running as normal. Most intercity trains, TERs and public transport within Ile de France will be running as normal or offering replacement services. In Normandy, SNCF has warned that there will be significant disruption to TER train services.

The Paris metro and RER will be largely unaffected. However, the T3 tram line will be very disrupted. Bus services in the French capital will be slower than usual.

A number of transport operators in other cities have also warned commuters to expect delays. In Nice, for example, no trams will be running on lines 1, 2 or 3, and two dozen bus routes have also been cancelled.

There will be disruption to certain bus and tram routes in several French cities.

You can find full details here for Grenoble,

Details for Montpellier

Details for Rennes

Details for Toulouse

Details for Bordeaux

Details for Marseille

Details for Strasbourg

If you are planning on travelling on Tuesday it is worth checking the website of the local transportation operator before leaving.

Member comments

  1. So the country is trying to drag itself out of the financial mess caused by the virus and what do the Unions do to help the situation? Go on strike. One just can’t teach the ignorant.😮

  2. Ah, so that’s why Métro ligne 9 was closed for a while today! I managed to get back on the buses tho.

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EES PASSPORT CHECKS

EES border checks could undergo ‘soft launch’, UK says as app concerns mount

The UK government is preparing for a "soft launch" of the new EU border system – the Entry/Exit (EES) system - in October but authorities are still waiting for European Commission to confirm the start date, amid concerns over the delay of a new app.

Published: 4 May 2024 09:30 CEST
EES border checks could undergo 'soft launch', UK says as app concerns mount

The UK government is preparing for a soft launch of the new EU border system – the entry/exit (EES) system – on the assumption that it will go live on October 6th, ministers told a hearing at the House of Commons European scrutiny committee this week.

But the European Commission is expected to confirm the exact launch date of the new biometric checks for non-EU travellers entering the Schengen area at some point this summer, they added.

“We are very much working on a basis whereby this policy will go live on the 6th of October. It is important that we plan for that eventuality. We are expecting to hear definitively from the European Union that ‘go live’ arrangement in the summer,” Tom Pursglove, UK Minister for Legal Migration and the Border told the committee.

The parliamentary committee is conducting an inquiry on the disruptions the system will cause in the UK.

Pursglove also said that “precautionary measures” have been agreed by the EU, that will be put in place in certain circumstances after the start of EES, for example if delays at the borders exceeded a certain length of time.

Guy Opperman, Under-Secretary of State at the Department for Transport, said that in practice this meant a “soft launch” of EES for 6 months before “a full go live”. During that soft launch EU member states and the UK could deploy flexibility measures should problems occur.

“The likelihood is, after multiple delays, that the 6th of October will proceed” and the implementation looks “very different” compared to previous scenarios considering the flexibility allowed in the first 6 months, he argued.

No details were given on what these “flexible” measures would involve however. 

READ ALSO: Your questions answered about Europe’s EES passport checks

He conceded that “a lot of work” still needs to be done but the UK “should be as ready as everybody” and “better be at front of the queue”.

App not ready

During the meeting, it also emerged that a much-anticipated app that would allow remote pre-registration of non-EU citizens subject to the checks will not be available for testing until August “at best”, prompting concerns about the EES launch date.

“You don’t need to be a sceptic about future projects to think that the provision of the app in August for going live in October is optimistic,” Opperman said.

Ministers confirmed that the app will not be ready in time for October and the committee previously stated it might be delayed until summer 2025.

The app will facilitate pre-registration, but photo and fingerprints will still have to be taken at the border in front of a guard, the committee heard.

READ ALSO: How do the EU’s new EES passport checks affect the 90-day rule?

Several MPs asked whether the entry into operation of the EES should be delayed again if technology is not ready. But Under-Secretary Opperman said the app “is not going to be a panacea to fix all problems”.

The main aim of EES is to increase security and to ensure that non-EU nationals visiting the Schengen area for a short-term do not stay more than 90 days in any 180-day period.

The entry into operation of the system has already been delayed several times and there have been calls from certain travel companies and national authorities to delay it again.

Under the new scheme, non-EU/EFTA travellers who do not need a visa will have to register their biometric data (finger prints and facial images) in a database that will also record each time they enter and exit the Schengen area.

Instead of having passports manually stamped, travellers will have to scan them at self-service kiosks before crossing the border. However, fingerprints and a photo will have to be registered in front of a guard at the first crossing and there are concerns the extra time needed will generate long queues, especially in Dover, Folkestone and St. Pancras station in London, where there are juxtaposed French and UK border checks.

Progress in preparations

Minister Pursglove also updated MPs on ongoing preparations. He said some testing of the system will take place within days, 5 kiosks have been installed at St. Pancras station and are available for testing. “You are beginning to see the physical infrastructure appear,” he said.

Kiosks and extra lanes are also being created at the port Dover and it was agreed with the EU passengers travelling by coach will be checked away from the Eastern dock, where controls usually take place, allowing to gain space. The vehicles will then sealed and drive on the ferries.

MPs also discussed the infrastructure cost linked to the introduction of the EES. Opperman said all EU countries will have to make “huge investments” in their ports. In the UK, he argued, this will help “address problems that have existed for some time”. Because of this “massive investment”, in a few years time “Dover will be totally transformed,” he said.

This article is published in cooperation with Europe Street News.

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