Strikes in France on September 18th, eight days after the strikes on September 10 and ten days after the Bayrou government was overthrown, Isn’t that a bit much? This time, it was initiated by the CFDT union, which was immediately joined by the other transport unions. This time, therefore, it is a strike organized by the unions and not on social media, as was the case on September 10. They are therefore calling for a national strike accompanied by demonstrations on September 18 to protest the budgetary austerity measures put forward by François Bayrou, even though his government has since left office.

As a tourist, to know more about strikes in France click on “Strikes in France: Impact on Tourists & Travel Disruptions in Paris“.

What are the demands?

The demands are always the same, especially from civil servants and public sector workers, who are the main organizers of this demonstration: excessive workloads for civil servants for civil servants and public sector employees, higher salaries, recognition, retirement at 60 or 62, etc. As an exemple, below are the demands of the CGT-Services publics union:

• budgetary resources commensurate with the tasks of public services and policies;
• measures to create public sector jobs in order to combat precariousness, improve working conditions and the performance of public service tasks, meet needs and strengthen solidarity throughout the country;
• general wage measures and the revaluation of pay scales;
• measures to finally establish equal pay and professional equality between women and men,
• the repeal of the 10% reduction in pay during sick leave,
• Guaranteed rights for public servants under social protection and action policies.
• High-level social protection and the abandonment of the plan to raise the retirement age to 64.
• Tax justice, with the introduction of measures to tax large estates and very high incomes, restrict dividend payments, and make aid to businesses subject to strict conditions.

Which sectors will certainly be the most affected by Strikes in France on September 18th

This is a unified union call coordinated by the national inter-union group, which includes the CFDT, CGT, FO, CFE-CGC, CFTC, UNSA, FSU, and Solidaires unions, representing 70% of unionized employees. First and foremost, this means that the whole of France and September 18 are shaping up to be a massive, united show of force organized by the unions.

Sectors most affected Transport, energy, education, with varying levels of participation and unpredictable actions, which are directly or indirectly nationalized or quasi-nationalized. This will therefore affect all sectors (public and private), with a massive impact felt in transport and the civil service. The fear is therefore almost total paralysis and the management of a high rate of absenteeism in public services.

Practical tips during the strikes in France on September 18th

• Check in real time on:
  • RATP.fr (metro/bus)
  • SNCF Connect (trains)
  • Bison Futé (road traffic).
• Do your shopping on the evening of September 17 latest.
• Download alternative mobility apps (Vélib’, Dott, Tier, Blablacar Daily).
• If you have to travel far, plan ahead and leave the day before or the day after.

The primary reason for these repeated strikes: working hours

All these strikes have income levels as their common denominator. But to increase income—the national wealth at the national level—it is necessary to work more. France lags far behind the other European countries and countries with comparable economic levels.

• In France the working week is 35 hours, but only 1,660 hours per employee per year when holidays and public holidays are included. The difference is around three weeks compared to Germany, which is in the European average with 1,790 hours.
• The official retirement age in France is now 64, following fierce opposition from trade unions in recent years—and even this does not apply to everyone, as some people still retire at 55 or 58. In other European countries, the retirement age is now 67—or even higher. Ultimately, it is clear and logical that the standard of living of a German or a Dutch person is 15% and 35% higher respectively.
• France has a lower employment rate than the European Union average (68% compared to 70%). The gap is particularly significant with the richest countries, including Germany (77%), the Netherlands (82%), and the Nordic countries.
• In total, France would have around 2.3 million more jobs if it raised its employment rate to the level of the best-performing European countries.
• Ultimately, the number of hours worked per capita in 2024 will be only 666 hours—at the bottom of the list of all OECD countries qui avoisine 770 heures.

It should be noted, however, that while salaried employees only work 1,660 hours per year, self-employed workers work more than 2,100 hours per year or 25% more hours than employees, with the risk of going bankrupt with little help from the welfare state. often for lower incomes. But how many are there?

The second reason for these strikes: a leisure-oriented lifestyle

The second reason for these strikes is undoubtedly the largely leisure-oriented lifestyle adopted by the majority of French people and their lack of diligence at work. Long vacations and public holidays combined with weekends encourage people to travel, which means they may spend beyond their means, without the ability to save. This leads to poor attendance at work (days off for illness, whether justified or not, or with the mind focused on planning the next weekend) and a need for additional income.

The third reason at the origin of these strikes : a welfare state for some

Since 1945, the French have been living in a protected environment where everything seems to be owed to them: dozens of different forms of assistance, subsidized activities with no effective control over their usefulness, social security in its various forms. For example, no French person can tell you how much it costs when they go to the doctor or are hospitalized: all expenses are paid directly and they never see the corresponding bills—which gives them the illusion that it is virtually free and they feel no obligation to restrict themselves! How many tons of unused drugs are thrown away each year?
These are direct costs, but they also require a large administration: there are 30 million people in work, 25% of whom are in the civil service (5.7 million), working an average of 1,632 hours per year, with salaries (€2,527 in 2022) well above the average private sector salary. This entire structure has a cost that is no longer in line with the wealth produced annually by France.

It is also worth mentioning the 2.3 million unemployed (7.5% of the working population in 2024), which means that it is not 30 million French people who contribute to wealth creation, but only 27.7 million.

On all these subjects, it does not seem that many French people who took part in the demonstrations on September 18 understood Prime Minister Bayrou, who resigned on September 8, when he stated on television that France produces 50 billion euros of wealth per year but borrows 150 billion to cover its expenses. Yet these are simple calculations that anyone can understand.

After Strikes in France on September 18th: can France steer clear of the impending disaster?

It will be difficult, because the organizations and their leaders involved in these disturbances are too well structured and profit from the chaos, which over the years has become their bread and butter. The political world does not dare to tackle the real problem, which is the amount of work in France, because it would be very unpopular (wasn’t one of the reasons for the fall of the Bayron government the elimination of only two public holidays?)
Yet the figures do not lie: suppose that every French person of working age spent 10% more time at work (39 hours instead of 35), simple mathematics shows that the wealth produced in seven years would be twice as much. Extrapolate that over 5 and 10 years and you’ll be amazed! There would be no more deficit, no more reason for repeated strikes, and all French people would be more relaxed.

Take the Netherlands, for example. In 1953, there was a flood that came from the sea. A significant part of the country was destroyed: 1,800 people died, 70,000 people evacuated, 4,500 homes destroyed and 50,000 other buildings damaged, not to mention the 200,000 hectares of land submerged by floodwaters that reached a height of 4.5 meters in some places, and the thousands of animals that perished.
In 2021, the median annual standard of living was €29,500 in the Netherlands, compared to only €23,100 in France—22% lower—with benefits and healthcare at least equal to those in France.
But the Dutch worked hard to rebuild their country. Today, the retirement age is 67, with adjustments starting at 65. It would therefore be more constructive for the French to emulate this country rather than block the country and believe in miracles.