France's government announced a 1.6% minimum wage increase after nationwide Nov. 5 protests over pay and school conditions, but the UNSA union called another strike to press for broader action.
The Interior Ministry counted 575,000 people at 193 public actions on Nov. 5, including 65,000 in Paris. The CGT union estimated 1.573 million participants in 207 cities as of 11:30 a.m. ET (16:30 UTC).
The marches followed a nationwide strike call by five union organizations over wages, pensions and public services. Students also sought better school conditions. The CGT compared the scale of the mobilization with France's 2023 pension protests.
The action took place a day after the National Assembly rejected the revenue portion of the government's 2027 budget bill. The Assembly said the vote meant the bill failed its first reading. The vote preceded the marches; it did not end the budget process.
France's statistics agency, Insee, reported general-government debt at 119.0% of gross domestic product as the second quarter of 2026 ended, compared with 117.5% at the close of the first quarter. Insee published those figures on Sept. 29, before the protests.
After meeting union and employer representatives on Nov. 9, Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu's government said it would raise the minimum wage by 1.6% on Dec. 1. That would bring net monthly minimum pay to €1,502. The government also said it planned a wage-monitoring committee and a higher ceiling for fuel allowances.
UNSA acknowledged the increase but said it amounted to €23.65, compared with the €100 to €150 that union organizations had sought. It called for a Nov. 17 strike across sectors over purchasing power and social and tax fairness.
