A major strike movement will take place this Thursday, December 5 in the public service: schools should be particularly affected. Other mobilizations are planned for the following days.
During the month of December, numerous mobilizations were announced. The dates of demonstrations will multiply in the days to come. A major strike movement led by public service unions is planned for this Thursday, December 5. The farmers, mobilized since November 18, will, a few days later, accelerate the movement. The SNCF, for its part, launched a strike on November 21 and this could quickly resume for an indefinite period. Here is the calendar of the next mobilizations.
December 5: major strike in the civil service but not only…
“The trade union organizations CGT, CFDT, UNSA, FSU, Solidaires, CFE-CGC and FA-FP call on civil service agents for a day of action, rallies, demonstrations and strikes throughout the territory on December 5, 2024”, they indicated in a press release published on November 14.
“Wage freezes, 3,155 job cuts, waiting days, contempt and teacher-bashing… the reasons for anger are multiple for staff,” wrote the FSU-SNUipp in a press release. The National Education unions having confirmed their mobilization, many classes could be closed this Thursday and canteens could also be affected.
SUD Éducation even filed a strike notice extending from November 21 to January 20, 2025 concerning “all staff working in schools, services and educational establishments”. For its part, the Force Ouvrière organization believes that a single day of mobilization will not be enough and plans “three days of strike for three days of waiting”, on December 11, 12 and 13.
The municipal police and even hospital staff will also respond to the call for a strike. However, this mobilization should not disrupt the reception of patients in hospitals. Administrative services in town halls and departmental or regional councils could also be disrupted. France Travail agents should also participate in the strike.
On the same date, all energy unions called employees in the sector to strike, in particular to demand an increase in wages. The strike will begin the day before at 9 p.m. for night shifts. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation, for its part, called on airlines to reduce their activity in a “preventive” manner. Flights will therefore be canceled.
December 9 and 10: the return of the farmers
The FNSEA announced a new series of mobilizations on Monday December 9 and Tuesday December 10. Friday November 29, at the microphone of RMC, the president of the first agricultural union, Arnaud Rousseau, added that they will be done “around income, around the relationship with the price of our products, particularly in the context of the start of relations sales, negotiation with distributors”.
The movement therefore continues while the mobilization of farmers began on November 18 after the call from the FNSEA and the JA, the majority union alliance. They denounce in particular their working conditions as well as the free trade agreement with Mercorsur. Rural Coordination joined the movement on November 19 with more substantial actions, notably the blocking of certain roads such as the A9 between Spain and France and the blocking of purchasing centers. The mobilizations of farmers are diverse: filter dams on the roads, occupation of roundabouts and roads, “fires of anger”, mobilizations in front of the prefectures with dumping of manure or waste and other more substantial actions such as blockades of roads and purchasing centers, controls of goods. On November 28, they attacked public institutions, including Anses and Inrae, by erecting symbolic walls in front of their entrances.
On the same dates next week, a strike will also take place in all ports, announced by the National Federation of Ports and Docks CGT. They denounce risks linked to asbestos and want negotiations on salaries. This strike could affect “loading and unloading” activities.
December 11: start of a renewable strike by the SNCF?
The SNCF inter-union called for an indefinite strike starting on December 11 at 7 p.m., in response to the confirmation of the dismantling of Fret SNCF on January 1 and to denounce the opening to competition. However, the threat of a renewable strike every 24 hours on SNCF trains is receding. Already on Thursday, November 21, the strike movement was barely followed. According to the CGT union, only one in four railway workers was on strike that day.
“The French don’t want this strike at Christmas, we understand them, and above all there are no reasons,” Jean-Pierre Farandou, CEO of SNCF, also declared on RTL. “I am quite doubtful about this social movement, especially since there are no other possible hypotheses” than this dismantling, announced the Minister for Transport François Durovray.
December 12: mobilization of employees
The general secretary of the CGT, Sophie Binet, called on employees to go on strike on December 12. They are called to mobilize in front of factories and prefectures. The objective: to fight against layoffs. “We are now calling on employees affected by the layoff plans to go on strike and occupy their factories,” Sophie Binet declared at a press conference. The CGT also encourages “employees to take action to defend employment and industry”, denouncing the proliferation of social plans in recent weeks in France.