HUNDREDS of thousands of people took to the streets across France on Thursday demanding higher wages and an increase in the minimum wage, in the biggest protests yet in weeks of social unrest.
Violence erupted on the sidelines of the largely peaceful demonstrations, leaving 53 police officers injured and leading to 448 arrests, authorities said.
The Interior Ministry estimated that 575,000 people participated nationwide, while the CGT trade union federation put turnout at nearly 1.6 million.
Police came under attack from groups of several hundred radical protesters and left-wing extremists in cities including Rennes, Marseille, Nantes, Lyon, Bordeaux, and Strasbourg, the Interior Ministry said.
Officers were pelted with stones, fireworks, and improvised explosive devices as groups attempted to break away from the demonstrations and push into city centres.Violence was also reported in Paris as authorities recorded 86 incidents of arson nationwide, according to preliminary figures.
The Interior Ministry reported serious damage and violence at schools across the country, with staff injured in several cities after being targeted with fireworks.
In the Paris suburb of La Courneuve, a young man stabbed a pupil who was taking part in a school blockade.
In Toulouse, rioters entered a school, set a fire, vandalised classrooms and destroyed computers.
Two secondary schools were badly damaged in Caen, while a school in Lille was evacuated after its entrance was set on fire.
Trade unions vowed to continue their campaign until the government and employers addressed demands for higher wages, better public services, improved conditions for students, and stronger social protections.
“The struggle will continue for as long as necessary to bring the government and employers to their knees,” the unions said in a statement.
In response, Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu announced a conference with trade unions and employers’ associations on Monday to “find solutions to issues of purchasing power and wages.”
Despite the large turnout, the unions’ call for a general strike had only a limited impact.
The walkouts mainly affected public sector workers, with some school staff joining the strike, several post offices closing and regional rail services disrupted. The union-led demonstrations marked a new phase in weeks of social unrest in France, previously driven largely by students and the Yellow Vest movement.
Earlier protests focused on demands for better school funding, concerns over police violence and the rising cost of living.
Trade unions are now seeking to build on that momentum with demands for higher wages.
“Workers are experiencing an unprecedented decline in their social standing. Fuel, food, rent, gas, electricity … everything is becoming more expensive, but wages and pensions are not rising,” the unions said in a joint statement.
They warned the government and employers that public anger was mounting and called for urgent action on social and environmental problems.
Marylise Léon, leader of the French Democratic Confederation of Labour (CFDT), called for a 100 euros (112 dollars) increase in the net monthly minimum wage, telling broadcaster BFMTV that people must be able to earn a decent living from their work.
Sophie Binet, general secretary of the General Confederation of Labour (CGT), welcomed the government’s announcement that it intended to raise the minimum wage beyond the increase already scheduled for January 2027.
However, she said an additional rise of 0.5 per cent or 0.6 per cent would not be enough.
“France is the European country where the minimum wage has risen the least over the past 10 years. We have now become a low-wage country,” Binet told broadcaster LCI.
Frédéric Souillot, head of the Workers’ Force (FO) union, has called for the gross monthly minimum wage to rise to 2,000 euros.
France’s minimum wage currently stands at 12.31 euros gross per hour, equivalent to around 1,867 euros per month for a 35-hour working week.
In Germany, the hourly minimum wage is 13.90 euros and will rise to 14.60 euros in January.
Further unrest is possible on Friday, when the Yellow Vest movement called for nationwide blockades and other protests.
The grassroots movement, which focuses on economic inequality, is also planning mass demonstrations across France on Saturday for the fourth consecutive weekend.
The protesters’ demands come as France’s heavily indebted government struggles to secure parliamentary approval for next year’s budget.
Unlike during previous waves of social unrest, the government has little room to offer major spending concessions because of its strained finances.
Five months before the presidential election, Lecornu’s minority government is seeking to push through an austerity budget.
Late on Wednesday, an initial draft of the budget failed to pass the National Assembly after lawmakers extensively amended the proposal.
All 458 lawmakers who voted opposed the bill, leaving it without a single vote in favour.
The original draft will now be considered by the Senate.(dpa/NAN)
